A couple of weeks ago I was preparing for a yard sale to purge many of my dinosaur items. Some of these included silver-plated trays, bowls, and serving dishes. Much to my horror, many of these silver items were tarnished and discolored. No way could I display them at a yard sale in their dark, almost ancient-looking condition. Hoping to gain some insight on how to stumble my way through restoring them, I turned to the imperfect, “helpful in a crunch” Internet for information. I learned there are several combinations of ingredients that may free them from their exposure to the air and stimulate restoration to their original state. But no matter which ingredients I chose, I would have to put some muscle into it. Since I am kind of “old school,” I opted to begin my cleaning effort with silver polish. I applied polish to one of the silver bowls and then began to firmly rub out the darkness. After five minutes of rubbing, until my wrists were limp and my fingers numb, I realized that no matter what ingredients I used, my goal for restoration of this bowl and the other silver items was going to be trivial. They had been exposed too long to the elements of the air. Throughout our life journey, many of us have been exposed for prolonged times to the elements of the world. We suffer from physical ailments and disease, we haul around a truckload of emotional scars, and we have become tarnished and discolored (bitter, cynical, and rebellious). Man-made scrubbing tools (medical, psychological, pills, and injections), furnish us with a temporary way to assimilate in this three-dimensional world, despite a fractured spirit. But they fall exceedingly short in treating the root. Like a root-bound plant, if the roots are imprisoned, the plant will eventually begin to die. Psychological depression, bone diseases, lowered immune resistance, blood diseases, and suicide (mental, moral, spiritual) are a few examples of root-bound spirits and souls. God is unequaled, unrivaled in His power to free us from the dross (deterioration) of our damaged souls and spirits. Not only has He provided healing for physical ailments and diseases like cancer, covid, and paralysis, but His restoration includes physical/bodily healing, spiritual healing, and miraculous healing. He restores where all hope is lost.
The futility of human efforts to run our own lives without a relationship with God is a humanistic stronghold headed for darkness, discoloration, and ultimate destruction. (Romans 8:3) Put some muscle into establishing a relationship with the Father and His Son. Submit your heart and soul to the Spirit and will of God to avoid exposure to the elements of the world. Only God’s Grace through His Son can heal and restore you to your purposeful beauty.
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Is there any wonder that confusion between Religion and God seems inevitable in a mix of over 4,000 religious faith groups and denominations throughout the world? It is speculated that within the United States, 75 percent of the over 300 million population participate in religion. Conclusions on the phenomenon of religion are that it is a universal practice found in all nations, though widely differing in its teachings, rituals, and commitments. Historical reviews clearly show that religion is probably one of the most powerful influences used by humankind for good or evil. Its most recognizable quality is that it worships, reveres, honors, or pays homage to humankind, angels, deities, objects, and idols--visible and invisible. Religion reminds me of Grimms’ story tale of Little Red Riding Hood. Although it was published as a children’s fairy tale, its storyline is quite frightening. A wolf pumps an innocent child for information about her destination. Ultimately, he uses this information to disguise himself as the child’s grandmother, and the child and her grandmother meet an unfavorable end. Since the original, different versions have emerged which introduce a huntsman as the hero who slays the wolf.¹ Like the fairytale, religion has originated from humankind which makes it an object of change and reckless interpretation. It is commonplace for religions to contain the existence of a superior power to mankind, the distinction between good or bad behavior, and an afterlife destination determined by conduct during a lifetime. Despite these various prevailing beliefs, there is only one God who remains personal, Holy, loving, just, forgiving, and merciful. He is not a philosophical or abstract principle of the mind and is impossible of being captured in an object which uses the materials created by Him to form the object. He is the Creator who sustains and orders all. (Colossians 1:16) The true and living God does not evolve into a different version. He remains the Divine personality yesterday, today and forever. He is the essence of truth manifested in the heavens and earth who provided a fail-safe solution through His Son for sin, forgiveness, and eternal life. There should be no confusion between God and religion. If you find yourself confused, reflect on the true and living God who promises never to lie to you (Numbers 23:19; Titus 1:2), will never leave you or abandon you (Hebrews 13:5), will supply all your need (Philippians 4:19), is faithful (Psalm 57:11-12), will give you strength (Philippians 4:13), and so much more. Religion will never promise to love you unconditionally and eternally, but the God who calls us sons and daughters, always will. ¹ american literature.com.
It is not uncommon to hear a person express a wish of “Good Luck” over someone about to undertake an activity. Or with great enthusiasm, they shout to the winner of an event, prize, or The Lottery, “Wow, you are lucky!” or “What a lucky break!” How can any break be lucky? Even more common is using the word luck as a flimsy expression of encouragement after a disappointment. For example, ”Better luck next time.” Seriously! These are just a few instances of the world’s prevailing belief in chance (favorable or unfavorable). This practice has even become so prevalent that some of our most frequent gatherings have encouraged the name “potluck” to inform the attendees of an unknown menu. In the true sense of its meaning, luck is a form of gambling. Its origin is unknown, but early sources record it as a shortening from the early Middle Dutch gheuluc, “meaning happiness, good fortune.”¹. In this country, we are borderline addicts to games of chance: The Lottery, slot machines, card games, bingo, dice, roulette wheels, horse racing, sports betting, and other suspect markets. The outcome of these games has zip to do with luck. Grace is the total opposite of luck. It is a gift of undeserved favor, loving-kindness, and mercy from God. It is life. It is the air we breathe, healing, forgiveness, freedom. It is God’s attitude toward mankind and is free from human intervention. In other words, good works can’t earn it, nor is it some natural morality. Religion, ethics, good deeds, ordinances, and charity, no matter how sincere, cannot substitute for faith in God’s Grace through the work of Christ. (Romans 11:5-6) If we count the multiple times we mess up and fall into our own mud puddles, we don’t deserve His Grace, but He gives it anyway. God’s Grace is never inactive. It is filled with power, and His strength is brought to perfection when we depend upon Him. (2 Corinthians 12:9) Skip the television commercials for healing solutions and the superhero movies for protection. His Grace is sufficient for:
Games of chance exalt men above God. We look for positive outcomes in devices created by humans and become angry with God when there are unfavorable outcomes. God’s Grace necessitates that we place our souls and spirits in the heart of God and focus on God’s nature, the deity of Jesus Christ, and love for humankind. God’s Grace is sufficient in all situations to shield, deliver and protect. ¹https://www.etymonline.com/word/luck
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