Monday, November 19, 2012

Fruit or Bangles and Beads




“If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but don’t have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal”  I Cor. 13:1).

Hey Gang: I am 79 years of age and have lived my three score and ten.  In other words I am living on borrowed time, thanks to God’s blessing; but, I must admit, I have become very interested in what is happening prophetically in our world today and what is awaiting for me when the Roll is called up yonder’ and my name is on the list.

We had a very dear friend who had a sense of humor and told stories of her child hood.  I took a tape recorder to her – you do remember what a tape recorder is, don’t you? I  asked her to record some of those wonderful humorous stories that I could used in my writings and speeches.  A week later I stopped and picked up the recorder with great anticipation, excitedly waiting to hear what she said.

As I headed the car for home, I turned on the recorder and was greeted by Grannie’s voice telling her ritual of the day.  She said, “I get up and immediately get the paper, turn to the obit’s and if my name is there. If not I get dressed and starts my day” (Matt have you heard this before?).  And then tape went silent and the remaining time was invested in “snoring”. Since I do not get the paper so my ritual does not include checking the obits!!

The greatest fringe benefit of writing ‘Gramps Morning thoughts’ is it keeps me in the Word and keeps my mind in tune with the things God wants to share with me for that day.  I confess to you that there have been times when I have just opened the Bible at random and He has never failed to show me a bold print subject that He wanted to make known that day.    

But, in my travels through the Word, I have gained a deeper interest in what awaits me at the point Paul described as “the end of the race”.  His prayer was that he ran the race well That, too, is my prayer.  When I read that I wanted to know what Paul meant as a success race. After some study I came to the conclusion that his criteria for success was based on “fruits”.  Adonai (Jesus, Yeshua) made it clear that we will be judged by our fruits.  (Matt. 7:16).

As we travel around Michigan  we see many kinds of fruit, cherries, apples, blueberries, pears to name a few, but I do not but I do not believe that is what Jesus was talking about in Luke 31:27.  We remember the challenge the lawyer addressed to Jesus, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life”. Note that Jesus did
 not say, go out and pick some bananas or strawberries, but rather “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind. And your neighbor as yourself”    

Soooo, in our years of working with hurting children, we often found it was easier for the kids to love God and their neighbor than to love themselves.  I know, because I, Kermit, had the same malady.

Blessings,

Gramps

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