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GLEANINGS FROM THE WORD Experiencing an extraordinary God in ordinary life Issue #1,005 January 12, 2004 Freeform Artworks The dripping eavestrough had sculpted dozens of individual free form works of art. Some were no larger than a finger, others were as big around as my leg and three to four feet long. The sun bounced off each individual sculpture creating a dazzling display. I stood and watched them for a while. The snow on the roof was being warmed by the sun. Droplets of water were being formed as the sun transformed the snow back to melt water and each drip slowly slipped over the frozen eaves. The droplets crawled along the existing icicles, loosing heat as they did. Each drop gave up the last of it's heat in a different spot and the icicles slowly grew. As the day lengthened, the drops were able to retain their heat a little longer and crawl further along the icicle before freezing making them larger and longer drop by drop. The larger icicles must have contained thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of individual drops of water. Some formed simple shapes, others became complex with three, four or more separate nodes forming until they resembled the frozen roots of a tree. Occasionally, a water droplet would simply slide off the roof solo and drop to the ground where it disappeared. No flashy lights. No hype. No famous artist. Just simple beautiful works of art. Pretty impressive for a bunch of frozen drips of water. Separate icicles yet connected to the same frozen eaves. It reminded me of the church. There is one true church, connected to Christ as it's head. The components of the church come in different shapes and sizes. Like the water droplets giving up their heat to form part of the whole, we each die to self to serve Jesus and become part of the church universal. Many believers feel they don't "need" the church. Perhaps, they are correct (although I can't imagine that being the case), but the church needs them. The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free--and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. 1 Corinthians 12:12-20 NIV Perhaps you're right in your feeling that you don't need the church (although I must confess I think you‘re deceiving yourself), but without you the church isn't complete. Someone else is missing out on being ministered to by your presence. We are all called to regular, active, participation in our local congregations. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:25 NIV Until next time, rejoice if you take advantage of the call to worship and serve with other believers. If you've turned your back and tried to go it alone, it's time to repent and find a fellowship where you fit. Be blessed Hallelu Yah (Praise God)! Kevin Don't stop reading here. There's plenty of good stuff below and it changes every day. Read on OUR GOD IS Our God is our light and our salvation. The LORD is my light and my salvation -- whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life -- of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1 NIV YOU ARE Once you have accepted Jesus as Saviour you are rooted and built up in Him. So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. Colossians 2:7-8 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 God didn't create you to out on your own suffering the hurts of this world. He created you to be in intimate fellowship with His son and regular fellowship with other believers who can help you grow and give you support. He wants you to know His love; peace; hope; joy; forgiveness and to have eternal life with Him. He knows we're all flawed people who have no hope of anything but pain in this life and eternity in hell afterwards if we must make it on our own merits. He offered His only Son to die in your place so that you could be free in this life and the next. You don't earn it, it's a gift. All you have to do is accept it From Him. 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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