What Not to Steal

            I don't think this was such a good idea.

            Police say that Terry Davis entered a University of Louisville on-campus library last month. While inside, he chose to steal a textbook. But this was not just any textbook that he was stealing. The title was–RESOLVING ETHICAL ISSUES.

            This reminds me of something that Paul said in Romans chapter seven, while reflecting upon the predicament of humanity, “15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.”

            Reflecting upon his state, Paul lamented, “24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?”

            He then answered his own question, “25 Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

            Ethics, as wonderful as they are, are not the key; they serve as symptoms of the key—Jesus living in the human heart... and the behavior that He inspires and empowers.

Story Source: WORLD magazine

The Onion

         Someone sent this poem to me back in the 1990s. I thought some of you might enjoy it.

           

The Onion

I was an onion before Christ set me free.

Layers upon layers of iniquity.

An ugly old onion whose fragrance was strong;

That my Jesus bought and loved all along.

Unknown to me what He was going to do.

Of what He was planning, I had not a clue.

Pulling each layer off one by one.

In order to make me more like Jesus the Son.

The first layer wasn't so bad.

I saw all the sins that I knew I had.

They were easy to fix, just change the way I talk.

And learn more of how He wanted me to walk.

Reading His Word, and learning again;

How to put aside my life of sin.

But the next layer was pulled which hurt more.

He was getting closer to the core.  

Unknown what He would find there.

I simply gave it to Him in prayer.

As another layer was removed, He started to cry;

Pulling this layer brought pain to my Father on High.

And I was crying over the sadness I felt;

The brokenness and all of the guilt.

Past memories that I thought were gone;

Were buried under layers disguised in a fragrance so strong.

As we peel onion more and more;

They put tears in our eyes as we get closer to the core.

So my Father wept over my pain;

Giving me a balm of comfort and strength to sustain.

“NO MORE LAYERS,” I would scream.

As He continued to peel them off of me.

“I'll have nothing left my Lord, what will I do?

I'll be nothing but a worthless core to you."

But He just said, “Trust me,” and continued to peel,

I thought He was blinded  to my pain that was so real. 

Year after year I shrunk more and >>more;

Until all that was left of this onion was an unsightly core.

It was then that I began to understand;

As the Lord embraced me in His loving hand.

He said, now and only now can you be;

The creation that will minister before me.

Clothed with the righteousness only from above;

Gone are your layers of self

so you can be filled with my love.

He took my layers of sin, hurt and pain;

And clothed me with love, truth and mercy in His name.

Yes, we are all onions, learning with each day;

How to overcome as each layer is taken away.

Some layers tear and pull and our heart;

While others grieve us to our innermost part.

But we are nothing but an ugly onion without Christ.

Layers upon layers of pride, sin and strife.

Only God can take those layers away.

And clothe us with His righteousness in that final day.           

All through this day Oh Lord,

let me touch as many lives as possible for Thee,

and every life I touch, do thou by Thy Holy Spirit

quicken, whether by the words I speak

or the life I live for Jesus sake.

--Amen.

Obstacles

            So often, I see, in Scripture a God, who uses obstacles to make and mold us into the image of His Son. In thinking about this, I am reminded of an old parable:

The Obstacle in Our Path

 In ancient times, a king had a boulder placed on a roadway.  Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock.            

Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the big stone out of the way.

Then, a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. On approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road.  After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded.

As the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse laying in the road where the boulder had been.  The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the king, indicating that the gold was for the person, who removed the boulder from the roadway.

The peasant learned what many others never understand. Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve one's condition.

            For the Christian, every obstacle does present an opportunity for improvement of one’s condition. Not for monetary enrichment, but for spiritual enrichment, because the adversity can serve as a tool of God to become more transformed into the image of Jesus.