IN EVERYTHING GIVE THANKS

Like a number of people I have had times of

extreme pain.  I can recall at least three times

of living with pain so extreme I wanted to cry 

like a baby.

However in one way or another God has healed

me in each instance.  But what has that to do with

the picture of pain relievers above?

A few days ago I ended up with a minor injury

that, well, it hurt.  So, I decided to take a pill

because we had some in the cabinet. 

What I found was, the the pills in the larger

bottel had passed their expiration date over

a year ago.

The middle bottle had passed it's expiration

date over three years ago.  And the little 

bottle had passed it's expiration date over

five years ago.  And, they all still had pills

in them.

So, I thank God for giving me enough pain

free living to not need all those pain pills.

JESUS DID IT AGAIN

That is some body's shoulder.  I did not want to 

make you sick, so I did not show you mine.

You see, I am an old, old, old man.  About the age

of your great grandfather or older.  That means that

a lot like a car with two or three hundred thousand 

miles on it, I'm falling apart.

Last night I went to bed feeling good, real good.

Had a good day.  No pain, hunger or anxieties and

had even soaked in the tub a while.  What could 

go wrong?

Some time during the night I woke up noticing a

lot of pain in one shoulder, unless I held my arm 

just right.  If I moved it at all there was intense

pain.

I do not know what went wrong.  It had not been

injured or strained during the day.  Possibly rolling

around during the night I dislocated something.  I

do not know, but it sure did hurt.

You can image the joy of "trying" to get dressed 

this morning with one hand.  While trying to get

my shirt on it was impossible to get that one arm

back far enough to go in the sleeve with out it

"killing" me.

While attempting to get that arm into it's sleeve

and the pain so severe I "begged" Jesus to help 

me.  And just about that quick I felt something

snapped, or popped and things when back to 

working again.  Even the soreness was pretty

much gone by the time I had my first cup of 

coffee.

THANK YOU JESUS.

THE HEALER OF BROKEN HEARTS

Images courtesy of: www.Pixabay.com

Life hurts.  If you have not found that out,  you have not

lived very long yet.  Some hurts or pains are minor.  You

know, you pinch your little "pinky".  But mommy's kiss

fixes it.  Then there are hurts and pains that will send you

to the doctor.  Usually some medication and time fixes

those.

  Then, there are hurts and pains that go really

deep.  The kind that mommy nor the doctor can

repair.  The "shrink" (psychologist), the bottle, nor 

the pill can fix.  Often we cannot even share them 

with our best friends.  And if we could, they really 

could not do anything to help.  We call them a

"broken heart".

The "broken heart" might be the cause of relationships,

physical conditions, circumstances or disappointments.

But a broken heart stills hurts.  Usually hurts worse

than any physical pain.  This is the kind of thing I am

talking about today.

And yes, there is a cure.  That is, if you are willing

to take it.

Let's start with some facts.

Contrary to popular belief - there is a God.

Literally millions of us know, experience or 

have a relationship with him.  He is more real 

to many of us than even our family members.

Then there are those who deny him.  They are

like someone you would hand a radio and say,

"Listen to the music."  But they would say,

"No.  There are no such things as "radio waves".

I cannot see them.  I cannot feel them.  And I

cannot taste them.  So, I am not going to turn

the silly radio on."

What they do not recognize is that God is in a

different dimension.  God is "Spirit".  And God

created the "material".  And in the material man,

God put a spiritual dimension that can tune in to

God.

The thing that we are really interested in today

is that,

"He heals the broken hearted, 

and binds up their wounds."

(Psalms 147:3 RSV)

Our purpose now is not to define God or how 

he works.  If we could, he would be no more 

than we are.  But his word "The Holy Scriptures"

or "The Holy Bible" tells us that the one who

created us, loved us (you and me) enough that

he came down and became a man.  Then in love

for us offered himself up as a sacrifice for our

sins, if we will accept that sacrifice for our selves.

God speaking through the prophets of old told 

us that Jesus Christ was coming and what his 

mission was to be.

We could say that this is the very mission statement

of Jesus Christ himself;

"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord 

has anointed me to bring good tidings to the afflicted,

he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim

liberty to the captives,  and the opening of the prison to

those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord's

favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort

all who mourn;

to grant to those who mourn in Zion - to give them a

garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead

of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint

spirit;...."

(Isaiah 61:1-3 RSV)

  A fact.

"The Lord is near to the broken hearted,

and saves the crushed in spirit."

(Psalms 34:18 RSV)

Look at his invitation.

"Come to me, all who labor and

are heavy laden, and I will give

you rest.  Take my yoke upon

you, and learn from me; for

I am gentle and lowly in heart,

and you will find rest for your 

souls.  For my yoke is easy,

and my burden is light."

(Matthew 11:26-30 RSV)

Christ wants to come in and mend 

your broken heart.  But how?

"... because, if you confess with your  lips

that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart

that God raised him from the dead, you will

be saved.  For man believes with his heart and

so is justified, and he confess with his lips and 

so is saved.  (Romans 10:9,10 RSV)

Do not try to fool or con God.

It's impossible.  He knows you better than 

you yourself do.  So;

  

simply recognize that God came down to earth

as a man named Jesus Christ to die for your sins.

Then call out to him confusing your sins or 

failures to him.  How loud or low a whisper 

does not matter.  He will hear you.  He even

knows your very thoughts.  Just be serious.

Ask him to come into your life and take over.

Let him take complete control of your life.

Then talk with him about that broken heart.

He will help "fix it".

SUFFERING

Have you ever felt like life is just toooooo much?

All the disappointments, discouragement, pain and

hopelessness is more than you can handle?

I have.

I have lived a long time.  I have walked (Tried to.) with

God for most of those years.  And in the process of trials, 

pressures of life, discouragements, pain, hospital beds 

and heart ache I have learned a few things about suffering.

One.

God uses any and all of these things to TRY to get our

attention.  He wants to draw us to him just like a crying

child will go to it's parent.  If you have been living your

own way - you have just figured out your problem.  Simply

turn to God.

Two.

As a child of God you will still be tested - severely.

If you think being a child of God and the Christian life

is a "joy ride" like some of the "televangelist" would 

have you believe, you better change stations.  It "just

ain't so".

Over the past year or so I have been seeing something

over and over and over in the Scriptures.  For example,

the apostle John who God use to write the book off 

"Revelation" said,

"... I am your partner in patiently enduring the 

suffering that comes to those who belong to his 

Kingdom."

(Revelation 1:9 GNT)

And this is because God has a purpose in it.  No, I don't

like it either, but he is training and strengthening me with

it.  He is preparing me to be with him forever.

Look at these guys below.  They are in army boot camp.

They are enduring training, hardship and suffering 

willingly - for their own good.

So, what am I do do?

TURN TO THE BOOK.

"Good people suffer many troubles,
but the Lord saves them from 
them all."
(Psalms 34:19 GNT)

H.W. Beecher said,

"God washes the eyes by tears until

they can behold the invisible land where 

tears shall come no more."

LET YOUR WORDS BE FEW

YES,

my back was hurting -

a lot.

My Sciatica again.

My Sciatica has bothered me a few times in my

life.  The last time the Lord helped me go over

40 years between bouts.  Praise God for that.

Was I praying about it?  Of course.  But I was 

beginning to think God was going to have me 

use more natural means of healing this time.

Thus the book above.

I have read 54 pages in the book.

What have I learned in 54 pages.

BACK PAIN CAN BE CAUSED BY 

A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT REASONS.

54 pages to learn that!  But nothing to help me yet.

OH!

PRAISE GOD.

He took the pain away.

I do not how or why.  But over about

a week it was gone.

Don't think I will finish the book.

"For God is in heaven, and you on earth;

Therefore let your words be few."

(Ecclesiastes 5:2 NKJV)

THE BLESSING OF PAIN AND DISAPPOINTMENT

Are pain and disappointment a blessing in disguise?

John Newton lived a despicable life admitting to being "an infidel and libertine." It eventually reduced him to "a servant of slaves in West Africa." Finally in a severe storm the ship he was on about sank, then he turned to God.

He ultimately wrote, Amazing Grace. A song that for several hundred years literally blessed millions of people.

Joseph's dreams shattered. Sold into slavery, and imprisoned for years. But prepared by God to save his family and nation.

Paul and Silas. In prison beaten and bleeding, but singing praises to God. An earth quake opened the jail, and opened the heart of the jailer saving him and his family.

Paul state, "I was given a painful physical ailment, which acts as Satan' messenger to beat me and keep me from being proud. Three times I prayed to the Lord about this and asked him to take it away. But his answer was: 'My grace is all you need. for my power is greatest when you are weak.'" - 2 Corinthians 12:8,9 (TEV)

Much of the New Testament was written and many churches started in Asia minor as a result.

Even Jesus was "made perfect" through suffering. "But even thought he was God's Son, he learned through his sufferings to be obedient. When he was made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him..."-Hebrews 5:8,9 (TEV)

Above all, God wants our pain and disappointments to drive us to Him. That is where the real blessing will come to us.

"We know that in all things God works for good with those who love him, those whom he has called according to his purpose." - Romans *:28 (TEV)

Am I going to let God use my pain and disappointments in life? Or just complain about them?

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