Hi, David,

Thanks for that story. Yes, God does sometimes lead us to those very people who, without His help, we would naturally despise.

This happened in my own life. A lady who had asked for help turned out to be an alcoholic -- the first one of "those people" I had ever dealt with. But during the time I was ministering to her physical needs, God gave to me a love that was not mine to share with her. Her story was one of a longing for love from her mother, and a need for protection from the "love" of the stepfather, who had first introduced her to liquor as a 12 year old, and who had continued to supply her needs in that way, so that he could continue to abuse her sexually when she was too drunk to stop him. Her recovery from alcohol has been a long job, but she has been free for several years. She has now been my "foster daughter" for a number of years, as God has given to me a mother's love to share with her.

The son of one of our members was a reformed druggie, and a current alcoholic -- and not exactly the nicest kind. His mother had tried to stop his drinking by commands, to no avail. She asked me to take him some food, and I found a young man who was longing for his mother's love and understanding rather than her dictatorial attitude. Once again, God supplied that love, and enabled me to be able to sit and talk with him in the midst of squalid conditions. We talked and prayed together, as I was supplying food for his physical needs. I accompanied him to his day in court dealing with something he had done while drunk, for which he was sentenced to 8 months in prison. During that time I was able to visit him, and exchange letters. He died in prison from a massive heart attack, but not before he was reconciled with his family and with his God.

I am not telling you this in order to show what a "good person" I am -- because both of these incidents went far beyond my natural inclinations. Because I was willing to follow in God's leading, God was able to use me to help these people, and in so doing, He was able to also change my heart from a "natural critic" to one who now finds it much more "natural" to love.

Yes, I had much to learn, and I am so glad that God chose to place me in situations that I naturally found to be abhorrent, and that He supplied the needed love for me to cope.

God bless,

Beryl

So ---- our "work" is not work at all!! It is the joyful telling, living, of a life that is full of the joy of the Lord! Sometimes the life tells more than words. Never must they be parted. Words without the life are worse than useless. When we have the life in Christ, then HE will supply the words!

God bless,

Beryl

Thnks so much for sharing those stories Beryl. I noticed that the SC passage you presented above mentions "present the attractions of Christ;" and I think that as we make ourselves available; Jesus will help us to do just that.



I know this topic is from chapter 9 of SC; but the quote I posted above is from chapter7...It's the chapter on "The Test Of Discipleship." out of all the books which Ellen White wrote; I find that going back to this one for "reality checks" has been a real anchor point in my christian journey...

Hope you have a great holiday Beryl! Want me to send you some snow from Calgary??

Well, it might save on the cost of airconditioning in the heat!

Happy Christmas,

God bless,

Beryl

In reading this prargraph I find one sentence to be what I would term a "WOW" sentence! So hard to take in the full import of what God is saying:-

This is the highest honour, the greatest joy, that it is possible for God to bestow upon men."

Just take a moment to think about the implications in that sentence! We may take pride in honours bestowed by mankind -- frame that citation, hang it on the wall, be photographed, name in newspaper, on TV -- all honours that show the appreciation of other humans,

BUT

Here is an honour that none other than the Creator of the Universe bestows on us -- the honour of being able, through the passing on of God's love, to bring some soul nearer to his/her Saviour! The rewards make that human-given certificate become worth nothing more than scrap paper!

God bless

Beryl

Yes Beryl; that is a "Wow sentence!" I keep forgetting to come to this Steps To Christ Forum; but everytime I do, you have some special blessing tucked away into one of your comments. Your work here is appreciated!

I believe that this "wow sentence" is something Jesus Himself was aware of, as this chapter in Steps To Christ starts out, in the 2nd paragraph saying:



Happy New Year Beryl!
BTW, I will pass along the new phrase "wow sentence" to my kids. They will love it too! :)

What a privilege! Co-workers with Christ and the angels! There can be no greater privilege than this!

How often does my guardian angel (by my side as I endeavour to minister to a friend) clap his hands over his ears saying, "Oh, no! Those words didn't come out right! Now Sue is offended!" And Jesus tells the angel, "It's OK. Leave Sue to her angel to comfort her and help her through this, and you take care of Beryl and let her know that all is not lost -- together we will get there!" And so the work continues -- the hiccups are ironed out, and the soul-saving work goes on.

Co-workers with Christ and the angels! That privilege is mind-boggling!

God bless,

Beryl

Happy New Year to you, David. In my part of the world it is, in fact, already New Year. It is 6:30 am, 1st January, 2007.

One year closer home! May it be a blessed year.

God bless,

Beryl

"Every act of self-sacrifice in the giver's heart strengthens the spirit of beneficence in the giver's heart,..."

Ever notice how good you feel when you have been able to help someone else? Somehow there is a glow -- not a "patting oneself on the back" type of glow, but that good feeling that comes from helping others.

Thinking about Christ when He was here on earth, He had some woeful days -- when the scribes, pharisees, lawyers, etc did all they could to try to bring His ministry into disrepute.

I like to think that it was the warm glow of having been able to help others that would have give to Jesus some of the strength needed to carry on. There would have been an inner glow as He watched the widow receive back her only son who had died; the joy of the parents of the little girl, raised back to life; the overflowing joy of Mary and Martha receiving Lazarus back from the tomb. Yes, He also kknew the pain of criticism, the murderous plannings were kinown to Him. Sure, He received strength from His Father, but I somehow feel that that inner glow of being able to help someone would have also been there.

God bless,

Beryl

Beryl, you have me thinking of the 10 lepers and how only one returned to thank Him for healing. Thank you, I was stuck on this particular "step" in my own walk. May I join in this study?

annie