Volume 20, No.9

AUGUST 2005

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CONTENTS

The Miracle of Strength

Best of Lifeline
By Rev. Larry Greiner

Hugs 'N Tugs
By Wendy Greiner Lefko

Alphabet for Living

Full Surrender

Christ Alone

Home

Praise & Prayer

 

 

  
THE MIRACLE OF STRENGTH

"Fear not, thou worm Jacob. . . I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth." (Isaiah 41:14,15).

Could any two things be in greater contrast than a worm and an instrument with teeth?  The worm is delicate, bruised by a tone, crushed beneath the passing wheel; an instrument with teeth can break and not be broken; it can grave its mark upon the rock. And the mighty God can convert the one into the other.  He can take a man or a nation, who has all the importance of the worm, and by the invigoration of His own Spirit, he can endow with strength by which a noble mark is left upon the history of the time.

And so the "worm" may take heart.  The mighty God can make us stronger than our circumstances.  He can bend them all to our good.  In God’s strength we can make them all pay tribute to our souls.  We can even take hold of a black disappointment, break it open, and extract some jewel of grace.  When God gives us will like iron, we can drive through difficulties as the iron share cuts through the toughest soil.  "I will make thee," and shall he not do it?--Dr. Jowett

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One day you'll understand that a short period of difficulty is a small price to pay for a clearer view of your King. --Edge of Eternity

By Rev. Larry W. Greiner

 

In 17th century Italy there lived a young man named Antonio who loved good music. His soul thrilled to hear the virtuosos of his day, and he dreamed of making great music himself. But try as he would, he could produce only mediocre results in his performances. It soon became apparent to Antonio that he would never be a great musician. What bitter irony! He had such a love for music, but no talent to match. All he could do was work with his hands.

Antonio mourned his dashed dreams for a time, but finally decided that if he could not play fine instruments he would make them. So he began to fashion violins with the utmost care and devotion. From these instruments, he decided, must come the beautiful melodies he heard in his soul but could not produce. On and on he labored until he was more than 90-years old. The grand musicians and talented performers of Antonio’s day have long since been silenced by the grave. But wherever great music is played and loved, the violins of Antonio Stradivarius still sing the beautiful melodies of his heart.

Many times we as Christians can feel bitterness and pain when we think of things that we dreamed would happen to us but never worked out. We may have had high aspirations and goals that we set out to accomplish, but all the while God was trying to get our attention concerning His will. He has a different plan. It may not be as grandiose as we had hoped but it is the most profitable in terms of eternal value and it is God’s best for us. We must want what God wants.

If we desire His will more than anything else we will know the greatest joy and satisfaction anyone could ever experience. God’s way is best and He will reveal His perfect will for us as we surrender ourselves totally to Him.

Make a commitment in your hearts to do God’s will, no matter what, no matter where, no matter when.

 

"And your ears will hear a word behind you saying, 'This is the way, walk in it,' whenever you turn to the right or to the left (Isaiah 30:22).

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HUGS 'N TUGS 

By Wendy Greiner Lefko  

Our 2 and 1/2 year old son, Daniel, is already a perfectionist in many ways and finds comfort in rituals.  He is most content when things are done the same way as they were before.  He likes to open the refrigerator to get the milk, he likes to get the spoon out of the drawer for his cereal, he likes to hold the cup while I pour his juice, he likes to turn the pages when we read him a book.  And when his Daddy gets home from work, he loves to meet him at the door before he comes in.  But the past few days he didn’t hear his Daddy's car pull up and he didn’t know Daddy was home until he came into the room where we were, and this totally threw him into an obvious display of displeasure.  We couldn’t believe how upset he was at the mere change of ritual when he didn’t get to greet his daddy at the door like he always did.  He didn't expect him to just show up in the kitchen all of a sudden and he was clearly not happy with the unexpected way his Daddy came in.  Instead of being his usual thrilled self to see his Daddy home to jump into his arms, he threw an infantile fit at the change of circumstances that were not to his liking.  Instead of enjoying his Daddy's presence he forfeited his own joy by being distracted with his own unreasonable expectations of how he thought things should be.  He focused on the surrounding chain of events instead of the very person that made the event exciting in the first place.

Oh how often do we do the same thing!  Instead of focusing on the precious presence of our Savior in the every day events of our lives, we get distracted and discontented when the circumstances around us don't play out the way we anticipated.  We throw our own infantile fits when we don’t see our Heavenly Father move in our lives the way we expected.  We forfeit the pleasure of His presence by stomping our feet at our displeasure of not seeing Him come in the way we planned.  When we first saw our son act this way, all I could think was how he thwarted his own purposes by being too upset to enjoy the fact that his Daddy was home. It didn’t make any sense!  And it doesn’t make sense for us to miss one moment of joy in our Father's presence by complaining that things didn’t happen the way we had hoped.  He’s here!  And that’s all that matters."

"In Thy presence is fullness of joy" (Psalm 16:11 ).

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The shortest distance between a problem and a solution is the distance between your knees and the floor.   
The one who kneels to the Lord can stand up to anything.   

ALPHABET FOR LIVING  

Although things are not perfect

Because of trial or pain

Continue in thanksgiving

Do not begin to blame

Even when the times are hard

Fierce winds are bound to blow

God is forever able

Hold on to what you know

Imagine life without His love

Joy would cease to be

Keep thanking Him for all the things

Love imparts to thee

Move out of "Camp Complaining"

No weapon that is known

On earth can yield the power

Praise can do alone

Quit looking at the future

Redeem the time at hand

Start every day with worship

To "thank" is a command

Until we see Him coming

Victorious in the sky

We'll run the race with gratitude

Xalting God most high

Yes, there'll be good times and yes some will be bad, but…

Zion waits in glory where none are ever sad!

—Selected

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FULL SURRENDER  

Father, I want to know Thee, but my coward heart fears to give up its toys.  I cannot part with them without inward bleeding, and I do not try to hide from Thee the terror of the parting.  I come trembling, but I do come.  Please root from my heart all those things which I have cherished so long and which have become a very part of my living self, so that Thou mayest enter and dwell there without a rival.  Then shalt Thou make the place of Thy feet glorious.  Then shall my heart have no need of the sun to shine in it, for Thyself wilt be the light of it, and there shall be no night there.  In Jesus' name. Amen. --A.W. Tozer

 

There seems to be an ambition on the part of many to learn "the tricks of the trade" rather than the trade.

CHRIST ALONE  

Oh, the bitter shame and sorrow  
That a time could ever be  
When I let the Savior's pity  
Plead in vain, and proudly answered,  
"All of self, and none of Thee!"

Yet He found me; I beheld Him
Bleeding on the accursed tree;  
Heard Him pray, "Forgive them, Father!"
And my wistful heart said faintly,
"Some of self, and some of Thee."

Day by day, His tender mercy,  
Healing, helping, full and free,
Brought me lower, while I whispered,  
"None of self and all of Thee.

--Theodore Monod

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HOME  

I have thought and read much about our heavenly home.  I am sure the magnificence of the City will be grandeur that would overwhelm us in present state of body and mind.  Yet I note that our Lord said it so simply, "In my Father’s house are many dwelling places.  I go to prepare a place for you.  I will return to get you to live in my home forever." There is an at-homeness about that home that does not dazzle us.   Instead, we’ll feel "at home."  We'll not be strangers over there and I have a feeling that with all the glory of the Heavenly City there will be an everlasting relaxation in the Land of No More --no more sin, sorrow, death, sickness, pain.  When Augustine's mother wanted  to accompany him on a trip he thought she had better not try it at her age.  She might die.  She replied, "My life is hid with Christ in God.   If God is my home, how can I die away from home!"  

Making yourself at home in God now is a good "getting-ready" for heaven.  When we arrive at the house made ready in the heavens, it will be glorious beyond our poor words to say.  But we'll feel at home.  For that is where we'll be. 

--Vance Havner

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'

I am too blessed to be stressed!

The burden of suffering seems a tombstone hung about our necks, while in reality it is only the weight which is necessary to keep down the diver while he is hunting for pearls. --Richter  

 

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God doesn't always smooth the path, but He sometimes puts springs in the wagon.  

The hardest part of faith is the last half hour--just before the answer comes.

 

To arrive is better than to travel hopefully. --Robert Louis Stevenson  

 

PRAISE & PRAYER  

God has been opening new doors for family ministry, and He is reaching families through the internet, tracts and programs.

Claire completed a series of radiation treatments.   Instead of chemo he is taking Thalidomide and we are trusting God for His healing touch.     Claire has had the joy of sharing his testimony in the meetings.

Wendy's follow-up of her melanoma surgery was encouraging and she is reported to be cancer free.  Thank you for praying.

Sharon needs major dental work.  Pray that all will go well.   Also pray about replacing their aging car which is constantly breaking down.

Praise for the faithfulness of a Sovereign God and for our dear friends and prayer warriors.

Wendy and Bob’s new address:    Mr. & Mrs. Robert Lefko, 18 Carriage Circle , Oley , PA 19547-9725   Phone: 610-987-0755

In bonds of love as we journey home,

"The Greiners"

 

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