A Message For All Here!!!
Submitted by Chris on 2003-03-28 16:53:03, Friday
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My Dear Brothers In Christ, "Jesus promised His disciples three things...that they would be completely fearless, absurdly happy, and in constant trouble." G.K. Chesterton, British writer and Christian Apologist, 1874-1936 "...If any of you wants to be my follower...you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross, and follow me. If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will find true life." Jesus Christ, Gospel of Mark, 8:34&35, N.L.T. I talk with our brother Andy regularly on the phone, and earlier this week we were discussing how much trouble and calamity has been going on in the lives of many of our brothers here at CBLF....ourselves included. It almost looks like an epidemic....as if trouble were a disease or illness. And not only that, but it sure looks like most, if not all, of us are being so afflicted all at once. Right now, and probably as I write. "Why oh why, Lord?", I have pleaded many times in my heart and in my prayers. I'm sure I am not alone. How often have we dwelt on troubles with tears welling up in our eyes-for our own sake and the sake of beloved friends and brethren. Can you relate with me on this so far? Oh yes....I know you can! (Maverick, Maverick JR, Ghengis, Brother Paul, Andy, Drifter, etc., etc., etc., ....is everyone listening?) How God loves us! Our Father of loving tenderness, forgiveness and grace. As I write this my eyes are filling up with tears. He LOVES us...He is our Father and our friend. He is the creator of all that exists, and in His hand is awesome power. With but a slight thought He can create whole galaxies, or destroy them completely. Only God , and God alone, can create life; and it is by His will that it is sustained for any length of time. The only reason I am here now writing this, and you are here reading it, is because God has willed it to be so. The only way I can breathe my very next breath of air is that God has given it to me to be able to do so. There can be no greater truth than this. Ah yes....mighty He is indeed...mighty and all-powerful....in love! Our God has chosen to visit us, His creation. But He chose to do it in the most humble of ways. He who is the full embodiment and very description of majesty, CHOSE to humble Himself in a way that is astonishing by even human standards. And we know now that it was this lowly, humble man..born into poverty, who owned nothing but the clothes on His back, who is our hope and salvation. He did not even have a home to call His own, nor a bed of any kind to rest Himself on at the end of every day. And every day He lived, He did it for us; with no thought whatsoever of His own ambitions or agenda. Jesus did have an agenda....it was you and I. Throughout His entire life on Earth, till the day He gave up that life for our sake as well. Just for you! Just for me! Oh what a Savior we have in Jesus our Lord!!! "He was dispised and rejected-a man of sorrows, aquainted with the bitterest of grief. We turned our backs on Him and looked the other way when He went by. He was dispised, and we did not care. Yet it was our weaknesses He carried; it was our sorrows that weighed Him down. And we thought His troubles were a punnishment form God for His own sins! But He was wounded and crushed for our sins. He was beaten that we might have peace. He was whipped, and we were healed! All of us have strayed away like sheep. We have left God's paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on Him the guilt and sins of us all. He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, He did not open His mouth. From prison and trial they led Him away to His death. But who among the people knew that He was dying for thier sins-that He was suffering thier punnishment? He had done no wrong, and he never decieved anyone. But He wasburied like a criminal; He was put in a rich man's grave." Isaiah 53:3-9 Brothers, let us take up our own cross and follow Jesus. Let us continue to pray for one another and lift up anyone who is down. Our load is not heavy, and we are never without help or hope from the One who loves us. We know we are His, and He is our Lord forever. Let us continue to give Him praise and glory whenever we help one another in times of grief and trouble. Indeed we are still a "small band of brothers". We are more than that in Christ Jesus who love us and gives us so much more than we can ask for, or deserve. God bless us greatly!!! It is a privelege and honor to grow in Him with all of you! With love in our Lord, Jesus, Christ, Your Brother, Chris |
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