Quote from Forum Archives on February 9, 2001, 10:42 am

Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Dear friends,

This message recalls the words of Dickens and the words of
Solomon, but it also discusses something that touches all of us:
struggling with the events of our lives and deciding what really
matters. My friends, I write regularly to you because it is
matters like these that I really care about. I feel strongly
that so many people are hurting, but may not think they have a
way out of their situations. I felt like that once, too. I
became so despondent that I despaired my own life.

Through that process, I began to remember various passages of
scripture. Being a believer, and also running out of options, I
decided to really take the Word for what it said. One of the key
messages I remembered is that God is in control. Well, that was
a good thing, because my life was completely out of control. I
no longer could manage my own affairs. That was the best place I
could possibly be, it turned out. It was at that time that I
realized the real truth and significance of the statement that
God is in control.

Now you see, God has been in control and God is in control. These
things have always been true. But I had been wrestling with
others, and frankly, with God, too, for control of my life.
Finally, since I do believe in Him, I decided to put matters
fully in His Hands instead of in my own. Wow! That was when the
real battle ended!

My life still has scars from those battles. Occasionally
something ugly from out of my past will rear its ugly head. But
now, those things have no hold on my life, none whatsoever. If I
forget that for a moment, it doesn't take very long to recall
what I have been through and what God has done for me.

We needn't all have to have a traumatic experience for us to
understand the importance of

1. A personal relationship with God
2. A life that surrenders control of our circumstances to God

Unfortunately, too many of us seem to have "experiential"
personalities - we need to experience something to understand it
for ourselves.

My prayer for all of you is that you do not need to experience
the pain and hardship of illness, divorce, death, or other
traumas to believe, trust, and know the wonderful love and grace
of God. It is freely available to every human being, regardless
of race, sex, color, or creed, and it is available to all no
matter what we may have done in the past. That is why the
salvation of God is called a "free gift" - it is freely
available.

When we are offered a gift, we can choose to accept or reject the
gift. We get all kinds of "free offers" (or so-called free
offers) in this life. This free offer did not come without a
cost - it cost God the sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ. Jesus
Christ had to come to earth, and in order for God to fully
vindicate us, Jesus bore the shame and pain that we deserve, took
it upon Himself, freeing that burden from us. I don't take that
gift for granted, but I sure want that freedom - the freedom to
know that even though I make nasty errors, I am deeply loved,
fully accepted, and completely forgiven.

That's the gift available to each one of us. Our responsibility
is to accept the gift and let others know how the gift affects
our life. How about you? Do you want the gift? How does (or
would) it affect your life?

Brother Brian
=============

by Dennis and Barbara Rainey
February 9

The Best and Worst of Times (Part Two)

Ecclesiastes 12:13

The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep
His commandments.

The doctors went to work on Barbara while Christians across the
country prayed. Her heart beat so quickly (200-300 beats per
minute) that it was not filling with blood, and her blood
pressure went down. This low pressure could harm the baby if it
continued.

The doctor made a quick decision. Using electric shock, he
successfully reduced her heart rate to 75 beats per minute.
Afterward, through tears, we gave thanks for God's intervention
in saving both Barbara and the baby.

We talked quite a bit after that terrifying event. Often we
think we are in control. We think we can plan our lives. We
struggle over so many insignificant things, but we find
ourselves asking, "What really matters?"

In the midst of these best and worst of times, a certain book
reached us like a beacon in the darkness. It's a book that rips
away the veil of idealism about life. It deals with purpose and
significance. It gives meaning to life's storms, to prosperity,
to our search for security.

The book? Ecclesiastes.

In its pages Solomon paints the paradoxes of life better than
Charles Dickens ever dreamed. Whether we're experiencing the
best or worst of times, God must be our reference point (see
Eccles. 12:13, above). If not, then life is emptiness-void of
meaning.

As I drove away from the hospital later that afternoon, I
reflected on how different people respond to crisis situations.
And I wondered, What is their reference point for a life and
death situation? Where do they find meaning? How do they make
sense out of suffering?

That night, as I put our five children to bed, we crowded
together and prayed. Benjamin, then eight, prayed as only a
child can: "Father, we give thanks that Mommy got sick 'cause we
know You want us to give thanks in everything...and we give
thanks that she's okay, too."

He prayed with childlike faith, and a mature perspective. He
understood how God wants us to respond in the best and worst of
times. Sometimes it takes a child's faith in God to remind us,
doesn't it?

Prayer:

That you would learn to fear God and that He would be your
reference point in the best and worst of times.

Discuss: For what tribulations can you thank God today?

=====
--
Brian Masinick, "The Mas", mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: www.geocities.com/masinick/
The Rules Have Changed...Get Paid to Surf the Web!
www.alladvantage.com/home.asp?refid=BKU-690

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35
a year! personal.mail.yahoo.com/