Scripture
I was so crushed beyond any power to endure that I was in dire despair of life itself.
~2 Corinthians 1:8, Williams
Quote
These crushing trails that afflict us help us to be loving, kind, understanding and sympathetic with others who are suffering also.
~A. B. Simpson
By using the first first part of verse 8 and then adding verse 9…it can read like this…“I was crushed…so much so that I despaired even of life, but that was to keep me from relying on myself rather than on God who raises the dead. This explains why God allows us to be crushed by burdens. Broken people are more sensitive and receptive. I know that when I started out in the ministry, I had some pretty harsh attitudes about a lot of things but over the years, God has allowed me to be crushed more than once and I am not resentful that He allowed it. Although it was very painful at the time, it was necessary for my sanctification.
I still have my personal taste: I like women wearing long hair, at least below the ear and men wearing short hair and I do not like sham hair at all. Spencer asks me Monday, “Is it true that you say that real men do not wear products in their hair?” I said, “that is exactly right.” He said, “Well I use hair spray.” I said, “Yes and you are a sissy.” I am kidding, I told him to pray more and spray less. A real man should never have every hair in place: his hair should be short or disheveled. I can’t tell the difference between the man that sprays and the man who toupees; both look fake to me. Real men are rugged. They don’t need mirrors or hair spray. Sorry, I digressed, just a little.
I hope you know I am kidding; I like Spencer but he needs a crew cut and a two day beard. Seriously, my opinions are not the rule of the day and I could not forgive myself if I were to discourage Spencer or anyone else who thinks the polar opposite of what I think. The boy is highly intelligent and he will go places: Jack aint going no where! But I can cry with those who are crying because I have been there either personally or vicariously. I was watching the CHOSEN a couple of days ago and it was when Jesus healed the crippled at the pool of Bethesda. The pool was surrounded by cripples. It broke my heart to see this image; it is a reality I do not want to face. I am not intelligent enough to discuss it openly, but there is a reason why I have a heart for those who live in wheel chairs. I labored to watch that scene: I grieve for those who have never been able to walk.
Trust me, I am not hard on the divorced or those who have love ones on drugs. Most of you think I hate gay folks {male or female} but I don’t hate them. Again, I lack the intelligence to share the whole truth but I hate no one. Some situations make me very uncomfortable and I don’t handle them well but the problem is not hate: fear maybe but not hate. I think if people knew my heart and my conditioning, they would understand. I don’t want folks to hate all drug users and we cannot hate those who are mixed up and misguided about their sexual orientation. If we knew their past, their conditioning, it might help us to be more understanding. Don’t get me wrong; drug addiction and homosexuality are very destructive to body and soul. I read Judges 19 yesterday and it is one of the most tragic stories in the Bible. Homosexuality came within an eyelash of destroying the entire tribe of Benjamin. That tribe was reduced to 600 men, not one child or female survived.
One thing is certain, there are a lot of hurting people out there and I can’t help them all but I can help some and so can you.
Continue to pray for Larry Slatter and family. Rhonda said that Larry rested more yesterday. The celebration of life Service for Thomas Pickens is Saturday.
Grace Point elected a building committee last night, the next step to building a fellowship/activities building. We had 35 youth last night. Counting workers, we had a dozen children. Unbelievable!
Speaking of destructive, how much damage is the cancel culture doing? This short video was in my email yesterday.