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GLEANINGS FROM THE WORD Experiencing an extraordinary God in ordinary life Issue #900 September 5, 2003 The Great City An integral part of our ministry is our prayer team. We're looking for some additional members. If you think you might be interested in serving with us in this way, send an email with the subject "Prayer team" and we'll send you some additional information. We flew at about 35,000 feet, high above the countryside. We flew close enough to Toronto to get a wide view from the air. Toronto is a wonderful city (as far as cities go). It is Canada's largest, and arguably most modern city, but it looked tiny from our vantage point. The major highways looked smaller than a child's toy and the skyscrapers looked like tiny models. I know how proud Toronto residents are of their "great accomplishments" (as are we all of those in our respective communities). Toronto, like most cities, has its problems, but there are incredible buildings, roadways, parks, hospitals, universities and mass transit systems. The things they have done in many ways are truly marvels to behold. I could almost hear the words of King Solomon as we flew over their wonderful city. I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired men and women singers, and a harem as well--the delights of the heart of man. I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me. Ecclesiastes 2:4-9 NIV From the heights of the aircraft, their accomplishments looked tiny and insignificant. I wonder how they must look from God's vantage point. Solomon eventually came to understand the futility of all the effort he expended to accomplish his mighty works. I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun. Ecclesiastes 2:10-11 NIV Solomon marveled for many years at the wonder of his own self imposed greatness. His father David had a much different perspective of what greatness was. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet: all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! Psalm 8:3-9 NIV Are you like Solomon, celebrating all you have accomplished or all that you have? Or are you like David, having accomplished great things, but marveling at the wonder of God and recognizing how small his own accomplishments were standing next to what God has done. If it isn't done in God's power, for God's glory, no matter how marvelous and wonderful it might seem, it is truly meaningless in the overall scheme of eternity. Great things fade to nothingness when compared to the holy power of our righteous, all powerful, all knowing, omnipresent God. The smallest gift of love, grace and mercy will outweigh the largest office tower when He returns. A kind word; a generous gift; a sick person or an inmate visited; hungry child fed; a cold person dressed warmly; an injustice corrected; a wrong righted; a soul saved; these are the kinds of things that He will reward when He comes. Until next time, may your efforts be focused on things that bring God glory. Be blessed Hallelu Yah (Praise God)! Kevin YOU ARE Once you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour you are given the very fullness of Christ. For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority Colossians 2:9-10 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 is big and powerful and we're not. Yet HE loves us and wants nothing more than to be in relationship with us. Whatever you have done that keeps you apart from God can be forgiven if you only ask. Don't wait a moment longer, God is waiting for you to turn to Him. Be forgiven and made right with God today. 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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