We had a wonderful day at our little country church today. There, the Bible is still taught and the Gospel of Jesus Christ is still preached. We are so glad. My three Sunday School children and I studied about Saul. He was a religious leader who thought he was doing God service by killing these "christians"; followers of this Jesus, who claimed to be the Son of God. On his way to Damascus to capture believers and put them into prison, the Lord stopped Saul in his tracks. He told Saul that "it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks". Saul had been pricked and goaded by the shining testimonies of these godly believers as they were murdered and imprisoned for their faith, at his hand. He recognized the Lord and fell on his face before Him, and asked, "what wilt thou have me to do?" After his conversion, Saul (later named Paul) went on to be one of the most used of the Apostles. I am so thankful that the Lord recorded these historical events and preserved His Word throughout all these years; though man has sought to destroy it many times and in many ways. The Bible stands forever.
Our pastor reminded us today, from II Corinthians, that believers (by the power of the Lord Jesus Christ, whom they stand for) are a sweet savor of Christ. Just as those persecuted believers were in Saul's day, christians who give the gospel and, in sincerity, live for the gospel today are like a sweet odor; like sweet, burning incense that rises to God's nostrils.
This reminds me of a beautiful little glass bowl that my Mom and I saw in that new thrift store yesterday. It is like a small, quiet "fountain". It plugs into an outlet and has a sort of "filter" in the center. Evidently the filter has some lightly scented fragrance inside. As the water passes through, it creates a vapor that lingers on the surface of the water then rises up slowly into the air. The christian who is living in the light of their loving Savior is "a sweet savor of Christ".
Our Sundays are full of what some might think of as "heavy topics", and they are heavy. In the light of all that is going on in the world today, I'm so glad to know that I have put all my trust in the one true God who has proven Himself for thousands of years. His Son, Jesus Christ, did a one time work in dying on the cross for my sin. His Word is full of prophecies that have been fulfilled already; and the future events will unfold just as is laid out in the remainder of the Bible.
These are Refreshing Springs to me. Though the thoughts were not as light and reflective as most of my blog posts are, they are the realities of what I took in today. I have asked the Lord that as I "take in" His truths, may I "put them out" and make them helpful for someone else. Perhaps you're that "someone".
I hope you all have a great evening.
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