“Sometimes our light goes out but is blown into flame by another human being. Each of us owes deepest thanks to those  who have rekindled this light.” – Albert Schweitzer

He did not say very much, whether it was at the meal table or when he was together with other people. That’s how I  remember the elderly gentleman.

We are not surprised when somebody does not talk very much at the meal table, but rather eats.  But I was rather surprised and could not understand why the elderly man was sitting there like a stone even at a gathering of the family.

Sadly it is now too late to ask him, “Why are you always so quiet?”  When he was still alive I thought he was just shy.

Maybe I am talking too much at certain times.

DO YOU KNOW WHAT WISDOM IS?

I read this about wisdom lately and I am again challenged:

Wisdom has two parts: 1. Having lots to say. 2. Not saying it.

Many years ago the Lord burned one verse of the BIBLE ino my mind. The verse is Isaiah 30:15, especally where it says, “….,  in quietness …. is your strength, …..” Please read the whole verse. I am reading there also, “…., but you would have none of it.” But I want all of it.  And I really do. I want to be quiet. We can ask the Lord every day to help us to be quiet. Who does not want to be strong? But what a challenge!!

I am still wondering about the old gentleman. Was he shy, not at ease in the company of other people, or was he wise? Since we cannot ask him, let us say he was wise and follow his footsteps.

To win From the Heart, tell us about someone who has influenced your life.

I wrote:

Yesterday I met Ryan here in Kaitaia, who is carrying the cross on his Walk for Christ from the bottom of the South Island to the top of the North Island of New Zealand. He is 25 years old and wants to see God move in this nation!

Today I met Ryan Craig on his Walk for Christ from the bottom of the South Island of New Zealand to the top of the North Island of New Zealand on Commerce Street here in Kaitaia.

Ryan lives in Twezel on the South Island of NZ and works in a bee keeping business. He is 25 years old and wants to see God move in this nation.

The following is from his pamphlet he gave me:

“GOD WILL LIFT UP THE HUMBLE!

God said:

‘If My people who are called by My name put away their pride and pray, and look for My face, and turn from their sinful ways, then I will hear from heaven. I will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.’

THE BIBLE

Second Chronicles 7:14-15

(New Life Version)

RYAN’S TRANSLATION

I had a picture in my mind of a cross behind a window. The window represents the church. The cross represents Christ.

The window is fractured into thousand of fragments. This represents divisions and hurts in the church, so people can not see Christ through the church clearly.

I am challenging all followers of Jesus Christ to pray and repent together and seek the face of God.

That way people outside the church can again see Christ in the church.”

“REMEMBER THE BANANA – WHEN IT LEFT THE BUNCH IT GOT SKINNED.”

I received that one-liner by E-mail long ago with many others.

People who know their BIBLE remember one particular verse when they read that one-liner. The verse is Hebrews 10:25 where it says in the NEW LIVING TRANSLATION:

“And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.”

THE AMPLIFIED BIBLE says that we should admonish one another, that means warning, urging and encouraging one another.

Union is strength, let us remember that.

And this is what Ignatius says, “When ye frequently, and in numbers meet together, the powers of Satan are overthrown, and his mischief is neutralized  by your likemindedness in the faith.”

Not long ago I came across the following quote by Wilma Rudolph, “When the sun is shining, I can do anything; no mountain is too high, no trouble too difficult to overcome.”

I hope we do not only attend Church Services when the sun is shining, but also when it is raining and thundering.

“Remember the banana – when it left the bunch it got skinned.”

“11.50pm Monday night – Ash and rock blown 1km high” (The New Zealand Herald, Wednesday, August 8, 2012)

From left to right: Mt Ruapehu, Mt Ngauruhoe and Mt Tongariro

We are encouraged to plan ahead.

“PLAN AHEAD: ….” I read today in the paper called VIVA. VIVA comes with THE NEW ZEALAND HERALD. In this issue of VIVA I read a lot about Los Angeles and readers are encouraged to do the following planning for next year: THE PALM SPRING INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL from January 10-21.

“Plan ahead: It wasn’t raining when Noah built the Ark.” I received that encouragement to plan ahead some time ago.

Can I also encourage you to plan ahead?

Please plan ahead: The BIBLE says, “And it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered…” (Hebrews 9:27, Authorized Version). Of course we don’t know the time of that appointment and we cannot write that appointment in our calendar.

But that appointment is coming for all of us. We must keep that appointment with death. We are born with that appointment.

What is the remedy? In the Lord Jesus Christ the one true remedy is found. By believing on the Lord Jesus Christ spiritual death is cured.

What does it say in John 5:24? “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes in him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.”