"This is the way; walk ye in it..."
Thus spake our Savior two millenia ago. Thus, and "Why call ye Me Lord, and do not what I say?"
Thus, and "Without Me ye can do nothing."
The Lord has been teaching me lately (a) without Him I can do NOTHING (not even converse
with my friends!!); that (b) He is with me ALWAYS and is interested in every aspect of my life; that
(c) He still speaks in "a still, small voice" and opens doors ahead of us wherever He leads us. These
aren't new lessons by any means, but I've had a hard time learning to lean on Him all the time in every
little thing. I mean, really now, surely Jesus isn't interested in our kid goats and our dogs, right? Wrong! He can use even them
to bring glory to His Father. Read on:
My friend Sarah disbuds (dehorns) our young goats, a necessary procedure since horns are dangerous as we have often
found. Last week was a busy week for her, so when I called and asked if she could do a few, she specifically asked that I not
bring them late in an afternoon. Well, the Lord had other ideas. At 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 31st His still small voice urged me
to pack the kids (baby goats) into the truck and head over to Sarah's despite the fact I had no appointment and hadn't gotten an
answer when I phoned to make one. I'm gradually learning not to deny the leadings of that inner voice, so half an hour later the kids
and I presented ourselves on Sarah's doorstep. Being a dear, sweet lady she made the best of an inconvenient situation and agreed
to 'do the necessary' since I was already there.
While we were working together to remove the horn buds, I mentioned that a widowed friend of mine, Irene, is returning to Hungary and
had some chain-link dog runs for sale cheap; was Sarah interested? Yes, she most definitely was; could she go down to see them first
thing Thursday morning; would I go with her? Certainly; no problem. And thus was set in motion an intriguing chain of events.
Sarah and I between us bought all of Irene's dog runs on Thursday morning, and agreed to return this week to dismantle the pens. It would
be tough sledding because all three of us are middle-aged, short, unathletic women - but working together no doubt we'd manage somehow,
despite the fact that the panels were rooted a foot deep in the earth and overgrown with grass. Then we'd only have to worry about how to get
them from Irene's place to ours - a dozen 6'x10' panels that wouldn't fit in any of our vehicles. Hmmm. Oh yes, and Sarah and I would have to
figure out how to PAY for these things now that we'd agreed to buy them. "Hmmmmm" TWO times. :-]
Well, that was last Thursday (June 1st). Friday morning the Lord showed His hand:
- Irene: had prayed, "Lord Jesus, make it as if I had a big strong husband and we could move these things without a problem" - and a scrap dealer
arrived in a flat-bed truck with a winch, and agreed to dismantle and move the pens for a very reasonable price.
- Sarah: had a purchaser arrive to buy some of her young goats, thereby answering the need for funds to pay for her share of Irene's dog runs and
their transportation.
- I: received a cheque in the mail (two months past due) that exactly covered my share of the runs.
Our needs were met, just like that.. but the Lord wasn't finished yet....
Saturday I went down to Irene's to show her which panels Sarah wanted and which I'd like for our dogs here - and ended up driving to Toronto
with Irene and a customer of hers. The customer, a Russian Christian, was grateful for the transportation and paid me more than enough to cover my
share of the transportation of the dog panels. Our financial needs had been met. Thank You, Jesus!
But He STILL wasn't finished. On the drive down to Toronto Irene and I had several hours to witness to the Russian lady and encourage her in
her Christian walk (she's a very new born-again Christian who thinks Jesus will get angry at her if she eats meat or bread!!). And on the way home,
Irene had a chance to share her magnificent child-like faith with me. What a joy to listen to her!!! I have been walking on air ever since, and singing
in my Spirit hymns of praise to our living Lord.
Sorry this isn't very well written or even all that interesting, people, but the Lord wanted me to share with you exactly how completely He wants
to direct our paths... and how little there is for us to fret about. God's Word is God's WORD; He never changes; He is still in control of EVERY area
of our lives, and we need only open our mouths and TRUST Him to keep His promise.
"This is the way; walk ye in it" - even when the still small voice is just telling us to drop everything and go get some goats dehorned.
Do it, because He has a blessing for you when you do!
"Cast all your cares upon Him, because He cares for you." (2 Peter 5:7) - ALL your cares, even the little ones about
goats and dogs and paying for dog panels and getting them moved and...
THANK YOU, JESUS!!!
Praise the Lord, all ye His saints!!
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Guest Devotional by Jim Magwood of The Master's Voice:
A Treasure
June 1, 2000
There was a young boy who dearly loved to listen to music, but, because of
circumstances, simply couldn't play an instrument or sing. He was bitterly
discouraged until an older man stopped to encourage him one day with words to
the effect, "What really matters is the song you have inside you." The young
boy kept these words in his heart for many years and eventually grew into the
maker of the world's most beautiful, and treasured, violins - Antonio
Stradivarius. The violins became treasures over many years, but Antonio
Stradivarius was a treasure himself -- he just hadn't broken out of his mold
yet.
This message isn't about violins, though. It's about you -- and the treasure
you really are. There are many of us who feel we have no value -- no real
worth -- and we go through life allowing everything we face to re-convince us
of that thought. We aren't a corporate giant making millions, or an award
winning scientist, or someone who is leading a group of people to world
changing decisions -- and sometimes we feel that we aren't even good parents
or spouses or friends. There are some who wonder why they are even still
breathing. We often feel we just don't have very much value or worth.
God, however, says different.
At Jeremiah 15, God said to Jeremiah, "Before I formed you, I knew you; and
before you were born, I sanctified you and ordained you." Would a God who
didn't think we were treasures say such things about someone?
Was King David a sinner? A great sinner? Yes, he was. He fell into sin
just as hard as anyone does today -- adultery, murder, lying. But, didn't
God say of David, "...my servant, David, who kept my commandments, and who
followed me with all his heart?" (1 Kings 14:8) And didn't He say, "a man
after my own heart," at 1 Samuel 13:14 (and which Paul repeated at Acts
13:22)? This sinner was being called, by God Himself, a man after His own
heart?
One of the twelve disciples betrayed Christ as much as Judas did -- Peter --
when he turned his back on Christ and denied even knowing Him. Yet, didn't
Christ confront, and then comfort, Peter on the seashore (John 21:15), and
give him the direct duty of going out to "feed the sheep"? And Christ gave
the command, and the power, to the disciples (who had all run away and hid
during the trials and tortures of Christ) to go out into the world and be His
ministers.
The Bible was not written to be a storybook which we couldn't understand. It
was meant to be a book which could show us how to live and be peaceful. It
was written with graphic pictures of how God used sinful men and women --
failures, cowards, unfaithful, fearful, uneducated, cheaters -- to become
giants in His Kingdom. It was to show us that even if we think we are
failures, or think we don't have the courage or education or abilities to be
of any worth, we are treasures to Him.
We were created to love and honor Him - the best we can. To raise our
children, to love our mates, to help our friends, to live Godly lives, to
"feed the sheep" -- the best we can. And when we fail or get hurt in our
efforts, God doesn't reach down with a big stick and crush us. He says,
"That's okay. You're trying. Keep it up. Here, take my hand and let me
lift you up again. I know you're a little unsteady, but I'll hold you up
straight. Listen to my voice, because I want to tell you again how very much
I love you."
He will never leave you or forsake you. You are one of the jewels in His
kingdom. Antonio Stradivarius grew up to create beautiful violins --
beautiful treasures. God has created you as His precious treasure. He loves
you.
David's last words to his people were, "Now bless the Lord, your God." Will
you take a few moments just now to join David's congregation as they all
"blessed the Lord God of their fathers, and bowed down their heads, and
worshipped the Lord"?
"For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods."Psalm 95:3
Shalom
Jim
© 1999, 2000 Jim Magwood
All rights reserved.
Reprinted by permission of the author.
THE MASTER'S VOICE (Mt. 10:20) is a weekly devotional which includes the
opportunity to comment and/or ask questions. Subscribe (no charge) by simply
sending your e-mail address and the message, "Sign me up." Any and all
comments are welcome. Your name never used without permission. Re-send any
devotionals to friends, or send their e-mail address to include in the
program. To cancel, simply send mail with CANCEL on it. All replies to
Jim Magwood@aol.com.
*****************************************
Keep on raining --- I won't drown;
My feet are planted on higher ground.
OHzone UPdates...
Changes again! Thank You, Jesus, for Your wonderful ongoing guidance. :-)) Folks, some of you may have noticed there are fewer and fewer references
to affiliate programs on OHzone, and fewer and fewer requests for your support. That's because the Lord has been pointing out that He is the only Source of
support I'll ever need. Nothing can take His place; nobody is richer or more generous or stronger or more influential. Sooooo...
- OHzone no longer offers paid hosting services (exceptions being the dear friends who already own OHzone subdomains, bless them). There will continue to be limited free websites provided
as the Lord leads...
- E-Clips no longer accepts paid advertising...
- OH Shop has been closed and now points visitors to OH LooK!!...
- OH Goodies no longer features an "OHzone Affiliates" page, since there is only ONE LINK needed: to Jesus Christ, our Lord.
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Keep on raining --- I won't drown;
My feet are planted on higher ground.
Christian Braille links ...
The other day a visitor to one of OHzone's Christian bookstores asked for help locating Braille study material
for a blind minister. I was pleasantly surprized to find the following links:
- http://butler.indiana.net/braille/ Braille Bibles, etc.
- http://www.wyrecompute.com/lightwing/ Braille translations; see also http://www.wyrecompute.com/lightwing/lwtbs.htm
- Lutheran Blind Mission Society and Christian Blind Institute
- http://home.att.net/~sixfriends/xlibrary.html Lending Library ministry of audio cassettes and/or braille. Snail-mail addresses.
Those are the best links I came up with in a search of the web using the AltaVista search engine, under "+braille+Christian" (language "English"), so I thought I'd share them with you. :-)
Keep on raining --- I won't drown;
My feet are planted on higher ground.
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Good site!
http://www.christiananswers.net/jesus/home.html
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Keep on raining --- I won't drown;
My feet are planted on higher ground.
NEWS BYTES
- From an e-mail I received recently (I haven't checked this link personally, so you're on your own - but it sounds like it may be worth making note of "just in case"):
What a few days. I went through the prospect of losing OE, reinstalling it 3 times, being told I had lost everything in it (messages, contacts, everything), searching for a solution online, being told I had to replace my operating system, being told I'd be better off getting a new PC, and finally finding a solution through virtualdr.com and fixing the problem myself. I was able to restore ALL my messages and ALL my addresses! I am wiped out, but very relieved.
If you ever have a PC or software problem, I heartily recommend http://www.virtualdr.com.
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Keep on raining --- I won't drown;
My feet are planted on higher ground.
Keep on reigning; You're my Lord!
Sharpen my mind by Your Spirit's sword.
Compliments of NicksHumor.net
ARCHIVES OF PAST ISSUES: http://www.NicksHumor.net/archive/humor
SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE online: http://www.nickshumor.net
That's about it for now, folks. God bless you and keep you, one and all!
PAYMENT DUE!!
The OHzone E-Clips is no longer free... it is now 'Helpware.'
Each week you must help one person on the web who has less knowledge
than you. Pick a newsgroup posting or an email each week and help
that person even if you have to visit their site to find the best
answer or do a little research and get back to them. Trust me, this
will make you feel better, and will help a lot of people get their
sites running better.That includes me, so if you've got a great idea you'd like to see on
OHzone, let me know, okay? dhowie@ohzone.net
OK, you're on your honor.... Ready... set... GO HELP SOMEBODY!!! -)
Richest blessings, dear ones!
(Mrs.) Doris E. Howie <><
Editor, OHzone E-CLIPS
