Do You Want More of the Power of God in your Life?

JAKE

Bill was a big, awkward, homely guy. He dressed oddly with ill-fitting
clothes. There were several fellows who thought it smart to make fun of him.

One day one fellow noticed a small tear in his shirt and gave it a small
rip. Another worker in the factory added his bit, and before long there was
quite a ribbon dangling. Bill went on about his work and as he passed too
near a moving belt the shirt strip was sucked into the machinery. In a split
second the sleeve and Bill was in trouble. Alarms were sounded, switches
pulled, and trouble was avoided. The foreman, however, aware of what had
happened, summoned the men and related this story: "In my younger days I
worked in a small factory. That's when I first met Mike. He was big and
witty, was always making jokes, and playing little pranks. Mike was a
leader. Then there was Pete who was a follower. He always went along with
Mike. And then there was a man named Jake. "He was a little older than the
rest of us -- quiet, harmless, apart. He always ate his lunch by himself. He
wore the same patched trousers for three years straight. He never entered
into the games we played at noon, wrestling, horse shoes and such. He
appeared to be indifferent, always sitting quietly alone under a tree
instead. Jake was a natural target for practical jokes.

"He might find a live frog in his dinner pail, or a dead rodent in his hat.
But he always took it in good humor. Then one Fall when things were slack,
Mike took off a few days to go hunting. Pete went along, of course. And they
promised all of us that if they got anything they'd bring us each a piece.

"So we were all quite excited when we heard that they'd returned and that
Mike had got a really big buck. We heard more than that. Pete could never
keep anything to himself, and it leaked out that they had real whopper to
play on Jake.

"Mike had cut up the critter and had made a nice package for each of us.
And, for the laugh, for the joke of it, he had saved the ears, the tail, the
hooves-it would be so funny when Jake unwrapped them. "Mike distributed his
packages during the noon hour. We each got a nice piece, opened it, and
thanked him. The biggest package of all he saved until last. It was for
Jake. Pete was all but bursting; and Mike looked very smug. Like always,
Jake sat by himself; he was on the far side of the big table. Mike pushed
the package over to where he could reach it; and we all sat and waited.

"Jake was never one to say much. You might never know that he was around for
all the talking he did. In three years he'd never said a hundred words. So
we were all quite astounded with what happened next. He took the package
firmly in his grip and rose slowly to his feet. He smiled broadly at
Mike-and it was then we noticed that his eyes were glistening. His Adam’s
apple bobbed up and down for a moment and then he got control of himself.
"'I knew you wouldn't forget me,' he said gratefully; 'I knew you'd come
through! You're big and you're playful, but I knew all along that you had a
good heart.'"

"He swallowed again, and then took in the rest of us. 'I know I haven't
seemed too chummy with you men; but I never meant to be rude. You see, I've
got nine kids at home

- - and a wife that's been an invalid -- bedfast now for four years. She
ain't ever going to get any better. And sometimes when she's real bad off, I
have to sit up all night to take care of her. And most of my wages have had
to go for doctors and medicine. The kids do all they can to help out, but at
times it's been hard to keep food in their mouths. Maybe you think it's
funny that I go off by myself to eat my dinner. Well, I guess I've been a
little ashamed, because I don't always have anything between my sandwich. Or
like today -- maybe there's only a raw turnip in my pail. But I want you to
know that this meat really means a lot to me. Maybe more than to anybody
here because tonight my kids . . .' He wiped the tears from his eyes with
the back of his hand, '. . . tonight my kids will have a really . . .' "He
tugged at the string. We'd been watching Jake so intently we hadn't paid
much notice to Mike and Pete. But we all noticed them now, because they both
dove at once to try to grab the package. But they were too late. Jake had
broken the wrapper and was already surveying his present. He examined each
hoof, each ear, and then he held up the tail. It wiggled limply.

It should have been so funny, but nobody laughed -- nobody at all. "But the
hardest part was when Jake looked up and said 'Thank you' while trying to
smile. Silently one by one each man moved forward carrying his package and
quietly placed it in front of Jake for they had suddenly realized how little
their own gift had really meant to them . . . until now . . .

This was where the foreman left the story and the men. He didn't need to say
anymore; but it was gratifying to notice that as each man ate his lunch that
day, they shared part with Bill and one fellow even took off his shirt and
gave it to him."

"When God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy
them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work-this is a gift of God."

Ecclesiastes 5:19 (NIV) "Lord, thank You for all You have given me to enjoy.
Make me aware of people in need with whom I can share from the abundance I
have received.
(author unknown)
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It never ceases to amaze me, how many miracles and wonderful experiences are
behind the doors of the hearts of people we meet once we truly put to death
our flesh and the lusts thereof. Miracles generally don’t happen until we
recognize the need for one.

When we deal with our flesh once and for all, we see others completely
differently--and the miraculous healing power of God locked within us is
able to come forth to touch others in many wonderful ways. The change in the
hearts of the men in the story above is a miraculous as healing the
naturally blind, deaf, and dumb.

I believe the main problem for us, Christians, in pushing into the
miraculous power of God is that we categorize the sins of the flesh into two
different groups. We see the grossness of the sins of murderers, adulterers,
whoremongers, etc. and we learn to hate them (and unfortunately often those
who do such things). But we don't see that from God's point of view,
denominationalism, mixing law with grace, adding thousands of traditions of
men to the simplicity of the gospel, gossiping, backbiting, idolatry, etc.
are just as bad and probably even worse. As a matter of fact, God in Ezekiel
Chapter 16 informed us that “religious” sins are twice as bad as the worldly
variety. (A careful reading of Ezekiel chapter sixteen with an honest heart
can be a real cleansing experience. Picture yourself as Jerusalem in the
story.)

Jesus spent far more time rebuking those with "religious" sins than those
who committed the regular old sins of the world. Because we have whitewashed
these gross sins which are just as fleshy as murdering, lying and stealing,
and have made them acceptable behavior, we have become blind to our
blindness and hardness of heart. We say we see and yet we are blind. Our
traditions truly end up making the word of God of no effect. (Matt. 15:6-9)

We will not be healed of our blindness until we confess our sins and repent
from this kind of behavior. And the world will not understand the things of
God, until we, Christians truly allow God’s light (understanding) to come
forth from within us. When we truly get past our own selfishness, we will be
able to see into the hearts and needs of the people in this world. Once we
see the need, and ask God for the provisions to fulfill those needs, our
heavenly Father will be faithful to provide all that is necessary to bring
healing and restoration.

"If My people who are called by My Name will humble themselves and pray, and
seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven,
and will forgive their sin and heal their land." (2 Chron. 7:14)

Wanna see the world move from darkness to light? Ask God to deal with you
and with the Church. When we, Christians, have dealt with our whitewashed
sins, then we will become light (understanding) and then the world will be
healed and filled with the light of the knowledge of the glory of God.

We are the light of the world. What kind of light will we give them? We can
give them glitzy, shiny church buildings, deck our houses with artificial
Christmas etc. Or we can give them the real thing. The world is waiting for
us to get real with them, ourselves, and with God. What are we waiting for?
In Him, Gary Amirault