Word for Today, Tue, 25 Jan 2005: Our Role

#1 · January 24, 2005, 4:35 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on January 24, 2005, 4:35 pm
Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Word for Today, Tue, 25 Jan 2005: Our Role
Dear friends,

Today's devotional message comes from the weekly edition of
Sowing Seeds of Faith, written by my friend Larry Davies. Notice
that Larry is traveling to Sri Lanka. Please join me and
thousands of others in praying for those who are in need, whether
in Sri Lanka or right in our own home. The message is powerful
today. God is the One who saves, but just as clearly, that same
powerful, gracious, wonderful, merciful God works through people
like you and me. God has been so faithful to us. How can we
respond to Him?

Yours in Christ,
Brian
______________________________________________________________________

Sowing Seeds of Faith...

This week, I leave with several Aid organization officials to Sri
Lanka to see what we can do to help and find several local groups
to be in continual contact with. The church I serve is shipping
40,000 pounds of rice from Vietnam to Sri Lanka and will
participate in distributing the rice to those in need. I look
forward to bringing you reports and pictures from our mission. We
pray you will find how much your donations make a difference in
the lives of those who need our help.

Please pray this week for me and our mission of compassion to Sri
Lanka!

Sowing Seeds Ministry set up their web site to accept donations
toward those affected by the Tsunami Tragedy. The site is credit
card secure. You may also donate to Sowing Seeds Ministry as we
keep our prayer and devotional web site active and helpful. Click
here: www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/Tsunami.htm Once on this
page you need to click again to the actual secured giving
area. This is for your protection.

"Pianos, Rats and Born Again" Larry Davies

The musicians at the nightclub were complaining about an old
piano. The keys would often stick and the sound was truly
hideous. After months of listening to the grumbling and whining
the nightclub owner finally decided to do something about
it.... he sent the piano out to be painted.

Painted? Painted? What good would that do? Yet as Christians we
often settle for a paint job when we need a full tune up. It's
easy to play Christian without actually acting like one. We seek
comfort, instead of a challenge. You want rest, not
responsibility. I all too readily accept complacency and
surrender my passion for God. We look for a paint brush rather
than a tool box.

Nicodemus had been painting his piano for years before meeting
Jesus. A high-ranking religious leader, Nicodemus could be the
preacher of your church (Uh-Oh: this is getting personal) but
something was missing. He tried to play it safe and come by cover
of night so his minister friends wouldn't see him but Jesus would
have none of it. He looked deep into Nicodemus' soul and said: "I
assure you unless you are born again you can never see the
kingdom of God." (John 3:3)

Nicodemus was confused: "I thought being "born again" was for
others, not me! I don't want to change, too much." A minister
wrote, "I love Jesus but I want to hold on to my own friends, to
my own independence, to the respect of my professional
colleagues, to my own writing plans."

We would rather play it safe and simply repaint the piano but
Jesus says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only
Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but
have eternal life." (John 3:16) God paid the ultimate price so
you would inherit an eternal promise and an essential
purpose. The promise: "You will not perish but have eternal
life." Your purpose is to believe in the One who offers the
promise and earnestly share God's Good News with others.

Yet, when it comes to offering the promise of God to others, we
have a lot to learn. For example:

Sue Bates is a missionary in Romania working with street kids and
orphans. She recently wrote about a worker who takes clothing
and medicine to the streets every few months but doesn't get too
involved. He was trying to witness to a 12-year-old boy who
lived underground, but he was getting nowhere. The boy was
sniffing "aurolac"...the cheap inhalant of the streets and paying
no attention. So, he asked the boy, "Why? Why, oh why, can't you
believe in a God of love?"

The boy thought for a second and then asked the missionary, "Why
do rats scream at night?"

The worker complained to Sue: "See, I tried to talk to him about
God but it was like talking to a wall: he wasn't even listening
and he started talking about rats. Those street kids are
hopeless."

Yet, it was the missionary who wasn't listening. He drove a nice
car, had a full belly, nice clothes, a comfortable bed, a family,
money to spend, etc. The street kid had almost nothing: a filthy
"bed" in a stinking hell-hole underground that had roaches, lice,
fleas... and rats that screamed at night.

The boy's message was plain and to the point. "You asked why I
can't believe in a God of love? Tell me why rats scream at
night. Then maybe you can figure why I struggle to believe."

Jesus came into our dark world and became "one of us." Christ
became flesh in order to "learn obedience by the things that He
suffered." (Hebrews 5:8) Are we willing to learn by Christ's
example? Perhaps, too often we want the best of both worlds. How
can we have compassion for others, if we refuse to allow God to
"tune our piano" and help us become "born again?"

Is your piano sounding a bit out of tune: A little beat up
inside? You could simply repaint it? Or you could expose yourself
to the penetrating and healing light of Christ who says: "Unless
you are born again you will never see the Kingdom of God." Sue
Bates ends her story, "I didn't know rats screamed at night. Did
you?" Perhaps my piano needs a tune up also.

Read Sowing Seeds of Faith... everyday! Click here:
www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/Devotions.htm

Are you receiving prayer concerns from around the world? Join our
prayer team today. Check it out by clicking here:
www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/sign-up.htm

How can I regularly support your ministry? Become a Sowing Seeds
Ministry partner. Click here:
www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/ministry_partner.htm

Jesus said: "You are the light of the world--like a city on a
mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Don't hide your
light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine
for all." (Matthew 5:14-15)

"Breaking the Peanut Butter Habit: Following God's Recipe
for a Better Life" now on sale only through our
website. www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/peanbutt.htm

=====
--
Brian Masinick, mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: www.geocities.com/masinick/

__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Take Yahoo! Mail with you! Get it on your mobile phone.
mobile.yahoo.com/maildemo

Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Word for Today, Tue, 25 Jan 2005: Our Role
Dear friends,

Today's devotional message comes from the weekly edition of
Sowing Seeds of Faith, written by my friend Larry Davies. Notice
that Larry is traveling to Sri Lanka. Please join me and
thousands of others in praying for those who are in need, whether
in Sri Lanka or right in our own home. The message is powerful
today. God is the One who saves, but just as clearly, that same
powerful, gracious, wonderful, merciful God works through people
like you and me. God has been so faithful to us. How can we
respond to Him?

Yours in Christ,
Brian
______________________________________________________________________

Sowing Seeds of Faith...

This week, I leave with several Aid organization officials to Sri
Lanka to see what we can do to help and find several local groups
to be in continual contact with. The church I serve is shipping
40,000 pounds of rice from Vietnam to Sri Lanka and will
participate in distributing the rice to those in need. I look
forward to bringing you reports and pictures from our mission. We
pray you will find how much your donations make a difference in
the lives of those who need our help.

Please pray this week for me and our mission of compassion to Sri
Lanka!

Sowing Seeds Ministry set up their web site to accept donations
toward those affected by the Tsunami Tragedy. The site is credit
card secure. You may also donate to Sowing Seeds Ministry as we
keep our prayer and devotional web site active and helpful. Click
here: http://www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/Tsunami.htm Once on this
page you need to click again to the actual secured giving
area. This is for your protection.

"Pianos, Rats and Born Again" Larry Davies

The musicians at the nightclub were complaining about an old
piano. The keys would often stick and the sound was truly
hideous. After months of listening to the grumbling and whining
the nightclub owner finally decided to do something about
it.... he sent the piano out to be painted.

Painted? Painted? What good would that do? Yet as Christians we
often settle for a paint job when we need a full tune up. It's
easy to play Christian without actually acting like one. We seek
comfort, instead of a challenge. You want rest, not
responsibility. I all too readily accept complacency and
surrender my passion for God. We look for a paint brush rather
than a tool box.

Nicodemus had been painting his piano for years before meeting
Jesus. A high-ranking religious leader, Nicodemus could be the
preacher of your church (Uh-Oh: this is getting personal) but
something was missing. He tried to play it safe and come by cover
of night so his minister friends wouldn't see him but Jesus would
have none of it. He looked deep into Nicodemus' soul and said: "I
assure you unless you are born again you can never see the
kingdom of God." (John 3:3)

Nicodemus was confused: "I thought being "born again" was for
others, not me! I don't want to change, too much." A minister
wrote, "I love Jesus but I want to hold on to my own friends, to
my own independence, to the respect of my professional
colleagues, to my own writing plans."

We would rather play it safe and simply repaint the piano but
Jesus says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only
Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but
have eternal life." (John 3:16) God paid the ultimate price so
you would inherit an eternal promise and an essential
purpose. The promise: "You will not perish but have eternal
life." Your purpose is to believe in the One who offers the
promise and earnestly share God's Good News with others.

Yet, when it comes to offering the promise of God to others, we
have a lot to learn. For example:

Sue Bates is a missionary in Romania working with street kids and
orphans. She recently wrote about a worker who takes clothing
and medicine to the streets every few months but doesn't get too
involved. He was trying to witness to a 12-year-old boy who
lived underground, but he was getting nowhere. The boy was
sniffing "aurolac"...the cheap inhalant of the streets and paying
no attention. So, he asked the boy, "Why? Why, oh why, can't you
believe in a God of love?"

The boy thought for a second and then asked the missionary, "Why
do rats scream at night?"

The worker complained to Sue: "See, I tried to talk to him about
God but it was like talking to a wall: he wasn't even listening
and he started talking about rats. Those street kids are
hopeless."

Yet, it was the missionary who wasn't listening. He drove a nice
car, had a full belly, nice clothes, a comfortable bed, a family,
money to spend, etc. The street kid had almost nothing: a filthy
"bed" in a stinking hell-hole underground that had roaches, lice,
fleas... and rats that screamed at night.

The boy's message was plain and to the point. "You asked why I
can't believe in a God of love? Tell me why rats scream at
night. Then maybe you can figure why I struggle to believe."

Jesus came into our dark world and became "one of us." Christ
became flesh in order to "learn obedience by the things that He
suffered." (Hebrews 5:8) Are we willing to learn by Christ's
example? Perhaps, too often we want the best of both worlds. How
can we have compassion for others, if we refuse to allow God to
"tune our piano" and help us become "born again?"

Is your piano sounding a bit out of tune: A little beat up
inside? You could simply repaint it? Or you could expose yourself
to the penetrating and healing light of Christ who says: "Unless
you are born again you will never see the Kingdom of God." Sue
Bates ends her story, "I didn't know rats screamed at night. Did
you?" Perhaps my piano needs a tune up also.

Read Sowing Seeds of Faith... everyday! Click here:
http://www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/Devotions.htm

Are you receiving prayer concerns from around the world? Join our
prayer team today. Check it out by clicking here:
http://www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/sign-up.htm

How can I regularly support your ministry? Become a Sowing Seeds
Ministry partner. Click here:
http://www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/ministry_partner.htm

Jesus said: "You are the light of the world--like a city on a
mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Don't hide your
light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine
for all." (Matthew 5:14-15)

"Breaking the Peanut Butter Habit: Following God's Recipe
for a Better Life" now on sale only through our
website. http://www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/peanbutt.htm

=====
--
Brian Masinick, mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: http://www.geocities.com/masinick/

__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Take Yahoo! Mail with you! Get it on your mobile phone.
mobile.yahoo.com/maildemo