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Bring Back the Joy --- B B t J . O r g
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Peachy Keen: How God Works, by
Mark Bolzern On June 20 of 2004 I went to sunday morning services at Charis Christian Center. Worship and Sermon were both very good. After services a fellow walked up to me and handed me some wadded up money and said that God had told him to give it to me. He was clearly embarrassed, and wanted to move away. So I thanked him and did not pursue further conversation as that did not seem to be what he wanted. There were three $20 notes in that wad. Praise God, but why me? And from a man I didn't know, and hadn't seen before or since? I held the money in my wallet for several weeks, somehow knowing that God had a special purpose for that money. It wasn't general funds for our ministry as it usually is. On July 17, 2004 I took a walk, and ended up at the Farmer's market that happens every Saturday morning at the park in downtown, Old Colorado City. The RV park we lived in at the time was on the outskirts of this neat little town. Among the many sellers, there was a farmer selling peaches. He was the only farmer selling his own organically raised produce. I felt that I should encourage this and buy a case of peaches. My natural thinking said that I could not possibly use a whole case before they spoiled. As I opened my wallet, the thought came that I should use some of the $60 that was given me the previous month, and since it was a gift, it wouldn't matter if some peaches spoiled. I also discovered that I had no other cash. I then thought that I was almost a mile from home, did I really want to carry a whole case that far? Then the thought came "I am a bountiful God and I want you to enjoy, besides I gave you the money, and you can use the exercise". Ok, no arguing with that. Besides it wasn't even all the money! I bought and started walking home carrying the case. The thought occurred a few times that this was stupid... obviously not the same source as the encouragement. God doesn't talk this way.... oh but the devil does, always trying to steal our joy. Then I saw two obviously homeless men walking together, and the thought came to offer them each a peach. So I did (heck with so many peaches that are probably gong to spoil, why not lighten the load!), and then started walking again. They called after me "thank you" after it became clear that I wasn't going to try to charge them anything. A little further down the road I came across an older man, clearly crippled up and using a cane. He was making very slow and labored process and looked to be in pain. This time I had the idea, so I offered him a peach. He looked skeptical, so I said, "no charge". He replied that yes, in that case he'd love one. I handed it to him. He took a big bite, and then asked "are you a christian?". I said, "I am a disciple of Jesus". He said "I knew it, you see, I have low blood sugar, and I didn't think I'd make it home today with no food or money on me. I was praying for help, and you are the answer to that prayer." The light went on in my head, now I get it. What a great God we have! I was on top of the world. I had obeyed without knowing why, and my doing so, my faith was rewarded by the service I was able to do, followed by JOY unspeakable. The case of peaches no longer seemed heavy. Upon arriving at the RV park I offered everyone I ran into a peach, and still had more left than Virginia and I could possibly eat before they spoiled. Those peaches tasted great, the best I have ever had, and we enjoyed them for a full week thereafter. Sometimes we know how the big things we do to serve turn out. But about how many little things do we ever find out? I hope the person who gave me the money sees this story. I've identified the place and time it was received so that he could know it was his money, and how it had served, because he had done as it had been suggested to him. With God it's about the heart. Trust him, and live like we do, and he'll tell us about hundreds of these things down the road that we may never have known about, how we affected another person, and how we were benefited as a side effect of doing what is right. God gives us blessings to share, and if we do there is always plenty left over for us too. I had more money and more peaches then I needed for God's purpose, and I've enjoyed both throughly, but the biggest Joy was knowing I'd been an answer to a prayer. On the other hand if we hoard the blessings we recieve, then God is blocked by our attitude from blessing us further. It is up to us to decide. A further blessing is that as new owners have come into the RV park, they too reflect this attitude of service and human relations. Since the case of peaches, the employees here seem to be more like a family than before. All are sharing and helping each other. The peaches are by no means the only incident. God can use seeming little things so many ways if we will just listen for his voice and obey it. We can start by softening our hearts to hear God's voice. Hear God? How can we hear God? Just like I did in the story above, and many other ways too if we are listening. We must truly actually want to hear God to hear him, and be still. Mostly our brains are so occupied with life that we really won't listen. And that is our primary challenge in life. How to overcome? Start by reading the bible while asking for understanding. Start with the book of John, and ultimately the whole New Testment, and finally the whole Bible, many times. Pray that God give you understanding, and really mean it. As we receive wisdom, we can be successful in always judging the thoughts that come to our heads as being in line with God's word and God's heart, or not. And acting on them accordingly. God tests us with good, not evil. It's the devil that condemns. God encourages. And he is also a friend who knows everything and doesn't hesitate to share with us that which we need to know, if we'll only listen. Understanding follows faith, not the reverse. God wants one thing, and one thing only from us. That we trust him totally. That includes believing and living like we believe. Seeking further understanding as we become fascinated with him, his word and his creation. Thus we ultimately come to love him more and more deeply because he is such a good God! And this is the one relationship in which we can be truly happy. The one we were made for. God honors our free will to choose him or not to choose him. We choose good or evil, blessing or cursing, according to the principles God put into place before the beginning of man. God does not force it on us. Let me briefly define "curse" as the undesired results of wrong decisions, by us or others. God does not smite people today, as we do plenty of it ourselves, especially when we listen to the devil's lies. Yet, in it all God keeps wooing us, and has subjected his power over us to our own free will. At the same time, the devil has no power over us except to plant thoughts trying to deceive us. Only if we accept the devil's thoughts do we slowly become deceived and eventually submit to him. On the other hand if we seek God's thoughts, to think like him, then we can have health, prosperity, JOY, and all God's manifold benefits and blessings. How we live is our choice. Our life is one of cause and effect, for each thought we must decide to build on it or replace it. Each decision will have consequences, and over time our lives become the aggregate consequences of all the decisions we have made, for better or worse. Choose Jesus, Choose Life, Choose Blessings, Choose JOY! Followup I just found out today several weeks later, that there is more to the story. Today I again crossed paths with the anonymous man who gave me the original money. He thanked me for taking it. He had not yet seen or heard the above written story. I asked why did he thank me? After all I was the recipient of his generosity. He went on to explain; shortly after giving me the money because God told him to, he received a check from the Government. Money he was not expecting in the amount of $2500.00. He went on to say "You see, when you plant good seed in good soil, you harvest a many time return." And he concluded that I was good soil, that the $2500.00 was his return for what he'd planted with me. Praise God! I want to be good soil. I pray that anyone who chooses to plant with our ministry sees similar and even better returns on their seed. You see, if a person sows with the right attitude, not because they have to, not because they expect a return, not because someone twisted their arm, but rather because they trust God and seek to serve, believing God's word, then this principle can work. Seed, Time, Harvest -- 10 fold, 100 fold, even 1000 fold or more, or in the case of this particular story 40 fold in cash, and lots more in kingdom credit! |
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