Volume 18, No.3

MARCH 2003

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CONTENTS

The Joy Of Forgiveness

Hugs 'N Tugs
by Wendy Greiner Lefko

Secret of Bible Study

Lean Christians

Christian Progress

I Shall Not Mind

Best of Lifeline
By Rev. Larry W. Greiner

God's Dazzling Presence

Keeping Kids On Track For God

Korean Korner

 

 
THE JOY OF FORGIVENESS

"And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you" (Ephesians 4:32).

Are you harboring bitterness and unforgiveness toward someone who has wronged you? You ask, "Why should I forgive?" Because God has forgiven you all the wrong you have ever done toward Him. If the Perfect One forgives the imperfect one, should not we who are imperfect forgive another imperfect one? Because God has been kind to me and has forgiven all my sins, I ought to do the same to others, regardless of what they had done. The greater the offense the greater the opportunity to show the love of Jesus Christ. You say, "I cannot." Paul said, "I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me" Philippians 4:13).

 With God’s help you can forgive! Ask Him to empower you now. Write on a piece of paper the sin you have not forgiven. Light it with a match and say, "I forgive." Know freedom in Christ.

—From "Light For My Dwelling" devotional booklet published by FCI. 



HUGS 'N TUGS  By Wendy Greiner Lefko

DANIEL GRAHAM LEFKO
BORN JANUARY 16, 2003


After the recent birth of our 5th child, Daniel, I couldn’t help but recall when our oldest, Bobby, was born. I was sharing a room with another woman who also had just given birth. It was her 4th child. I remember thinking there was no way having a 4th baby could possibly be as exciting as having your first. The anticipation, the joy, the awe at new life, I just couldn’t imagine it being the same after your firstborn. Boy, was I wrong! With the birth of each child, not one was less exciting, joy-filled, or awe-inspiring than the other. No less love filled our hearts for each precious new life that lay dependently in our arms. We marveled as much at the miracle of life with our 5th child as we did with our first, no less amazed at God’s wondrous works! Each child is equally precious and loved by us.

Praise God! That is a precious example of His undying love for each of us! He not only loves all His children equally, but His ample arms always have room for more! My dear aunt gave us a plaque upon finding out we were expecting our 5th child. It pictures a bunch of babies lined up in one big bed with the simple caption, "Always room for one more". What a beautiful picture of parental love. I can’t help but equate it with God’s love. He always has room for one more, and always more than enough love to go around. He loves each of us the same. I love a quote I just read as I sat down to write this article. It was from Augustine who said, "God loves every one of us as if there were but one of us to love." What wondrous love! A parent’s love for all their children is a marvelous example of God’s unconditional love for all His family. What joy it is to rest in His unfailing arms knowing His unfailing love will protect and provide for us with His unfailing power. There is no greater love. "For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:26).

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THE SECRET OF BIBLE STUDY
  1. Study it through. Never begin a day without mastering a verse.
  2. Pray it in. Never leave your Bible until the passage you have studied is a part of your very being.
  3. Put it down. The thought God gives you, put it in the margin of your Bible or your notebook.
  4. Work it out. Live the truth you get through all the hours of the day.

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LEAN CHRISTIANS

They own Bibles, but feed on newspapers. 
They sing about peace, but do not surrender to it. 
They pray that the kingdom of heaven may come, but block the way with worldly living. 
They listen to sermons on unselfishness, but pamper themselves with food and dress. 
They wear a cross but shrink from bearing one.

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CHRISTIAN PROGRESS

Onward: Exodus 40:36.
Forward: Ezekiel 1:9-12.
Not backward: Jeremiah 7:24; 15:6.
Upward: Ecclesiastes 3:21; Proverbs 15:24.
Still upward: Ezekiel 41:7.
Godward: 1 Thessalonians 1:8.
Homeward: Isaiah 14:17 (margin).
Heavenward: Acts 12:10.
Toward the mark: Philippians 3:14.

—Notes From My Bible by D.L. Moody

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I SHALL NOT MIND

I shall not mind the whiteness of my hair,
Or that slow steps falter on the stair,
Or that young friends hurry as they pass,
Or what strange image greets me in the glass,
If I can feel, as roots feel in the sod,
That I am growing old to bloom before the face of God.

—Author Unknown

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THE BEST OF LIFELINE

By Rev. Larry W. Greiner

Dwight L. Moody's father died when Dwight was only four years of age. A month later Mrs. Moody gave birth to twins. She now had nine mouths to feed and no income. Merciless creditors dogged the widow, claiming everything on which they could get their hands. As if she didn't have enough troubles, her eldest boy later ran away from home. Certain that her son would return, Mrs. Moody placed a light for him in the window each night. Young Dwight was inspired by her faith and prayers. He wrote: "I can remember how eagerly she used to look for tidings of that boy; how she used to send us to the post office to see if there was a letter from him. Some nights when the wind was very high, and the house would tremble at every gust, the voice of my mother was raised in prayer for that wanderer."

Mrs. Moody’s prayers were answered. The prodigal son eventually returned. Dwight remembered the occasion: "While my mother was sitting at the door, a stranger was seen coming toward the house, and when he came to the door he stopped. My mother didn't know her boy. He stood there with folded arms and a great beard flowing down his breast, tears trickling down his face. When my mother saw those tears she cried, ‘Oh, it's my lost son!’ and entreated him to come in. But he stood still! ‘No mother,’ he answered, ‘I will not come in until I hear first that you have forgiven me.’"

Mrs. Moody was only too willing to forgive. She rushed to the door, threw her arms around her boy, and the prodigal found forgiveness.

Dear Christian parent, grandparent, brother, sister, is there someone you love dearly that is out there, lost in the world—lost in sin and it’s sway, far away from God? Don’t give up! Keep coming boldly before God’s throne of grace and keep the candle in the window. God will answer in His own way and time. Stand on His promises, trust Him and know that He hears your every cry. Your tears will not be shed in vain. Believe God.

"And he said to him, ‘My child, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to be merry and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found’" (Luke 15: 31,32).

"They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. (Psalm 126:6).

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GOD’S DAZZLING PRESENCE

"Being in the dazzling presence of God is a wondrous experience; realizing God's majestic, just, and compassionate action in the world and in our lives urges us to let all thanks break loose! We come so often to God, if we come at all, as beggars. We ask and beg: give me; bless me; help me; guide me; grant me. And that's one necessary level of our existence. But in thanksgiving and adoration we come to God not to ask but to give! We come not whimpering but shouting praise; not in guilt but in gratitude. We feel not distant from God but close to God. We are like a traveler who is home again at last, the prodigal at a banquet. Those moments may be seldom, but when they happen we know that we were created for God."

—Andrew Kuyvenhoven

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KEEPING KIDS ON TRACK FOR GOD

Raising kids is not easy, and there are no sure-fire formulas or divine guarantees that they will go from parent dependent to God dependent. But there are some steps you can take to help increase the chance that your kids will stay on track for God. Here are three principals that will help you maximize your communication to help them remember what you have taught them.

1. Children Need Repetition

Deuteronomy 6:7—"Repeat them again and again to your children." They need to hear it, and hear it again, because they don't always hear it accurately.
2. Children Need Relevance

Deuteronomy 6:7b—"Talk about them when you are at home and when you are away on a journey, when you are lying down and when you get up again." In order for them to understand the faith that you have they need to see how it is relevant at home, away from home, where ever you are. They need to see your faith in process.

3. Children Need Reminders

Deuteronomy 6:8-9—"Tie them to your hands as a reminder, and wear them on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." They need to see things in your home that reflect your faith (pictures, music, scripture verses, etc.)

Once again there is no sure way to make sure that your kids will embrace the same faith that you have, but these principals will sure help improve your chances of raising spiritual-healthy kids.

—Selected

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LARRY’S KOREAN KORNER

Recently I showed the film "Left Behind" to our youth group. It is a captivating film about the rapture of the Church. Following the film we had a discussion on the subject. Some of the young people were frightened by the movie, and some were almost in a state of shock. Those who were new to our group had never even heard of the rapture. I reassured them that we who are Christians do not need to be afraid. I explained that Jesus Christ is coming to take us out of this sinful world. We will not be here when the antichrist is revealed and the seven years of the Great Tribulation takes place, which will include God’s judgment and wrath upon the earth. Many of the youth felt comforted by this, but I went on to say that those who have never received Christ as Savior will be left behind. I then gave an invitation to accept Christ and His forgiveness.

Praise the Lord, one fifteen-year-old girl named Jin responded and gave her heart to Christ. Her face beamed with joy. She was happy to now be part of the family of God. Please pray for Jin as she begins her new life in Christ.

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