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GLEANINGS FROM THE WORD Experiencing an extraordinary God in ordinary life Issue #1,015 January 23, 2004 A Testimony The moon cut through the night sky like high beams on the blacktop at midnight. Stars as numerous as grains of sand on the beach shimmered tantalizingly against the velvet sky. Starlight and moonlight alike reflected off the freshly fallen snow giving the sense of fields made up of millions upon millions of individual diamonds. The northern lights danced across the horizon. One moment they covered the stars, the next unveiling them in an ever changing ballet choreographed by the Lord. Words alone don't do justice to the scene. It was the kind of night that inflames the passions of poets and artists. A night that cries out to be painted or to have its photograph taken. A beauty that is etched into the mind never to be forgotten. The kind of night that the most brilliant of talents can only catch, at most, the essence of. In short, it was a typical moonlit night for a clear skied, northern Alberta winter's evening. I'd be embarrassed to admit how many of those nights I've seen and never given a second thought to, or really even noticed for that matter. Even the spectacular can become mundane if you see it often enough. Our Lord knew that. He performed many miracles during His ministry in Israel, but He also knew that the crowds would quickly just want the show, or fail to be impressed. I can hear them now. "Jesus raised someone from the dead." "Again? Why doesn't He do something really impressive? That's old hat. When will He show us that He's the Son of God like He claims? Too far fetched? I don't think so. I've looked at beauty that people spend huge amounts of money and travel around the world to see and not even noticed. Why would we be any different with God? He's at work in everything around us. So much so that the Bible says we're without excuse in not knowing about God. The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. Romans 1:18-20 NIV The sights, the sounds and the smells of the world tell us God is there. The feeling of sunshine on our cheeks, the wind on our face, snowflakes on our tongue and rain on our hands cry out that God is here. The taste of a banana split, or the smell of the first cup of coffee of the day say "He's real and He's here." The change between sunlight and shadow tell us there's a difference between light and dark. The strength of a spider's web. The softness of garments made from silk thread. The sound of a newborn babies cry, a loon calling on a northern lake or a bird singing at sunset. The power of love. The words "I love you" said and meant. All these things testify that He's here. Have you noticed lately? Until next time, may the beauty of our Lord be abundantly plain to you. Be blessed Hallelu Yah (Praise God)! Kevin OUR GOD IS Our God's Word has power. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. Hebrews 1:3 NIV YOU ARE Once you have accepted Jesus as Saviour, you are enriched For in him you have been enriched in every way--in all your speaking and in all your knowledge Philippians 4:4 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 In the dark moments of life, you've wondered if there really is a God and if He can help. He's there, the fact that you even exist is proof of it. Yes, He can help. He can give you peace; hope; joy; unconditional love; forgiveness and eternal life. You don't have to earn those things. In fact, you can't. All you have to do is approach Him with an open, repentant heart and they are there for you. 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 © 2001-2004 K.F. "Kevin" Corbin Gleanings From The Word Ministries International - All Rights Reserved
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