The Broken Things of Life

There is a beautiful story of a child who was late coming home one day. She was met at the door by her mother who was frantic from worry. "Where have you been?" shouted the mother almost in tears. "Suzie was crying because her doll was broken, so I stopped to help her," was the little girl's reply.
The mother was beginning to calm down some, and she asked, "Did you help her fix her doll?"
"Oh, no, mother. I helped her cry."
Vance Havner writes: "God uses broken things. It takes broken soil to produce a crop, broken clouds to give rain, broken grain to give bread, broken bread to give strength. It is the broken alabaster box that gives forth perfume. It is Peter, weeping bitterly, who returns to greater power than ever."
What is broken about your life? It may be something that can be truly repaired and made whole if only you will let God use His power and mend it with the Holy Spirit of His eternal love.

Mid-Week Prayer
Let us pray: Eternal and gracious God. We come to you this day with the weakness of our live showing forth from our shattered shells.
Will you please help us realize that there is power in the problems of our lives? We are not alone, but there is a promise to be made whole if we would only confess that we can no longer be the glue that binds our brokenness together.
Give us the strength to come to you in the glory of Your power as we are given a whole life, now and forever, in the blessed name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

This has been Rev. Jim Massey. Next week we will share another epistle in our walk together. Join me then.

Always Be Ready!

As I was reading the Scriptures this morning, I came across a passage that caused me to pause. Peter writes: "But in your heart set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." (I Peter 3:15)
For many people today, being in a constant state of living is difficult. You hear people who are in a "constant state of flux" or change, and you hear people who are stressed by continually being called by the cellular phone or pager that they carry. We have become a society that demands instant contact but are wearied by the continual demand of such a life style.
And here is God's Word telling us to "always be ready." But to be ready to share the Good News is not a burden, but a joy. Who brings the real release to others lives? Who gives us the truth when others color their words with careful shadows?
If it is hard for you to be continually ready to tell of God, then perhaps you need to pause and ask God to continually speak to your heart. Maybe when you hear His Word more often, then you know the words that you really want to speak to others.

Mid-Week Prayer
Loving Father, come into our hearts this day. Let us be ready, even now to tell another of Your Son. Many people today have heard words spoken that carry little truth. Let our words be pure for others to hear and change our hearts to be ready for You. In Jesus' blessed name. Amen.

This has been Rev. Jim Massey. Join me next week to talk of the broken things of life.

BE CAREFUL OF THE ONE WHO KNOWS YOUR NAME

A middle-aged woman went to an apartment building and took the elevator to the twelfth floor. When she arrived at her destination, she rang the doorbell impatiently. The door opened slowly, almost mysteriously, and she was welcomed by the smell of incense and smoke. She entered and was greeted by a young woman in a long white robe who announced her presence by striking a huge gong. With this the young woman said, "Do you wish to see the WONDERFUL ONE - the All-knowing, All-powerful, Maharishi Narru?"

"Yeah," the woman said. "Tell Sheldon his mother is here."

Isn't it wonderful in this time of being thankful that when we try to tell everyone what our rich blessings have been, the Loving Father comes and simply wants to talk to us as He knows us...as His beloved child? That will quickly take away the flowery words and quickly thought up praises. This takes us directly to the heart of what it means to be alive in the love of God. For that we should be truly thankful.

Mid-Week Prayer
Holy Father, we come to You this day and ask that You call us by name. Do not let all the pretenses of our lives remove You from our presence, but by the power of Your Holy Spirit, make us alive for the world to see Your glory. In Your blessed name we pray. Amen.

This has been Rev. Jim Massey. Join me next week to hear about preparedness from the Apostle Peter.

Reason to Change Course

One night at sea, the ship's captain saw what looked like the lights of another ship heading toward him. He had his signalman blink to the other ship: "Change your course 10 degrees south." The reply came back: "Change your course 10 degrees north." The ship's captain answered: "I am a captain. Change your course south." To which the reply was: "Well, I am a seaman first class. Change your course north." This infuriated the captain, so he signaled back: "Blast it, I say change your course south. I'm on a battleship!" To which the reply came back: "And I say change your course north. I'm in a lighthouse."
Many times in our lives we try to do the same to God. We try to tell Him how we need to live our lives and we are continually receiving warnings from Him about avoiding sin. Much like the seaman on the shore who is on solid ground, Christ has died for our sins so we can stand on His Holy Word.

Mid-Week Prayer
Loving God, come into our hearts today and help us realize that we need to hear Your Words coming into our heart with great clarity. You do not tell us to change simply so we can be moved around the world, but You call us to a new life that is filled with new possibilities to warn others about the great dangers that are in the path of everyone today. Give us Lord, the ears to hear, and the eyes to see the fullness of Your grace this day. In the blessed name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

This has been Rev. Jim Massey. Next week we will talk about a voice from the past who truly knows your name.