Friday, September 18, 2009

Burnin' Right Through! - September 18, 2009

Good Friday morning! As of this morning, you can use $1,014.49 per ounce to figure how much your weight is worth in gold. That seems like a lot of money to pay for a one ounce block of metal to set in your safe. In reading the Bible verse for Pastor Rogers' message this morning, it is interesting that while the world calls gold an inert and incorruptible metal, the Bible says something different. From our science classes we know that gold is valued for its properties: it doesn't tarnish or rust, you can store it in sea water and it will not fade, acid won't eat it like most metals, and it conducts electricity very well. Gold is also relatively rare. At least it is in my house. You could melt the gold off my entire supply of jewelry in but a few moments and it would be far short of an ounce. I'm not even sure what solid gold is. This only makes me just like most everyone else. Few people in the world will ever have so much as an ounce of gold to hold in their hands. For the most part, we are much more concerned with having enough money to buy food, clothing, shelter, and many other needs. A starving person cannot eat a chunk of gold, and a thirsty person cannot drink a gold coin. Gold will not save a person, no matter how much we give away in an attempt to please God. We can buy things with gold, but they are even more corruptible and temporary. Gold apparently is not the answer to many of our deepest needs.

Sharing is the way to fulfill a need to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ. We began our six-week course on sharing last night. It will take us longer than six weeks due to taking time off to fellowship together a time or two, but we will learn more about sharing through the Holy Spirit. I must share something that happened last night. In the group, one of our members had the courage to confess something deep. That is not easy to do even in a group of people you are familiar with. The Holy Spirit placed the desire to make a bold request in prayer upon my heart. I remember thinking: "Okay, Lord. If you want me to make that request, have Burt call on me to lead the prayer." Now you know that I should know better than to ask for signs like that. :-) Burt hesitated not in the slightest before calling me to obey the Lord and make that request public. The Holy Spirit of God moves among us. Now that is something of great value! I had to get up early this morning just to make sure that I shared that in the devotional. Sometimes the light of Jesus burns right through any bushel basket we try to put over it!

Praise the Lord for sharing in His holy name!

Bucky

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