Happy Birthday, Mom!

11/05/2010

Good Morning!

I would like to begin today with a praise to God. I know a number of you who read this Good Morning have had your Mother and / or Father pass away. But God has been gracious to Bruce, Claire and myself in that my Mom is still living and will celebrate her 87th birthday tomorrow. Her health remains relatively good. She still lives alone and drives where she needs to go. She is active in her church, in the Daughters of the American Revolution, and in the community where she lives. Mom comes from a line of long lived people – Grandma Ward was 91 when she went to be with the Lord; Granddaddy Ward was 69 – doesn’t sound long but this was in 1939 when life expectancy was 65. Aunt Mae was 84 and Cud’n Kate was 87 when they went to glory. So the family history is chock full of “long livers”. The neat thing is that I was able to benefit from being around all of these fine folks when I was young. And they made a lasting impression upon me. So I am grateful to God for allowing me to have these women of faith in my life. Happy Birthday Mom!!!

2 Corinthians 3:4-6 (English Standard Version)
4 Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, 6who has made us competent[a] to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
Footnotes:
a. 2 Corinthians 3:6 Or sufficient

Verse six above was the verse of the day for November 4th. I really like what Paul is saying in this passage because he is reminding us that we are messengers of God … but that our competence to carry the Gospel isn’t generated from our own means but rather through the Spirit that lives within us. I can attest to the power of the Spirit being active. You would be surprised at the number of times just the right verse of Scripture – just the right passage – pops into this addled brain to be used for God’s glory. I guarantee you it isn’t “smarts”.

We are God conduit to a world that is defeated by Satan. We carry Life – eternal life – like a person who brings refreshing water to a thirsty soul. Our message is that God loves mankind. We don’t carry around a list of do’s and don’ts. No, we share the GOOD NEWS that Jesus has made us clean and acceptable to God. Isn’t it grand to realize that God has chosen us to bear this message. It makes your day … and your weekend … special.


Agape’


Mr. Jim