From: "Gospel Messenger Service" Subject: Real or Artificial Date: Fri, 27 Jan 2006 14:19:27 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0008_01C6234C.B66CD430" X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Unsent: 1 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.2180 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0008_01C6234C.B66CD430 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable REAL OR ARTIFICIAL LIFE By Clinton White God's people are referred to in the Bible as God's garden. God came to = His garden once. The Bible teaches that "the Word was made flesh, and = dwelt among us" (John 1:14), and that "He came unto his own and his own = received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to = become the sons of God" (John 1:11- 12). He came to His garden seeking a = relationship with His children. And what did He find? He found = artificial flowers. Men have indulged in the art of flower making for many years. Not just = since the invention of plastic, but for centuries before that, they made = imitation flowers with paper, with bits of bark and other things. Today = the art of artificial flower making has progressed to the point that = just by looking you cannot tell the difference between the man made and = the real ones. But what is the difference? The artificial ones have no life in them. = And another big difference between an artificial flower and a real one = is that the real flower comes to bloom, then goes to seed and it = procreates. It causes other seeds, other flowers to grow. (The wind is = sent from God to pollinate the flowers and spread them across the = earth.) When Jesus came, He spoke to a man called Nicodemus. Nicodemus was an = artificial flower, for religion had made him externally look like a = child of God. He was one of the biggest hybrid looking artificial = flowers, probably an orchid, for he was a member of the Sanhedrin. He = was a religious man and this is what religion does: it can make you = appear outwardly to be a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. Externally, = Nicodemus and many others were religious people, but Jesus told them = that they were "like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear = beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones" (Matt. = 23:27). Jesus looked at a group of people who had been brought up in religion = all of their lives; from their childhood, they had been taught the = Scriptures. And Jesus said to them, "Search the scriptures; for in them = ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. = And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life" (John 5:39-40). He was = telling them, "You have no life in you." Jesus looked at these people = who had been religious all of their lives, and He saw them as artificial = flowers. And He showed them how to become new. He put His hands on many = of them and they became alive. Men make artificial flowers. Men also tamper with God's flowers-the = people who love God in this world. If a flower farmer wants to start a = certain strain of flower, he protects it from being cross-pollinated by = a bee, an insect or by the wind, so that he can bring forth the same = strain of flower. Now, if the flower farmer finds one that was not = protected and it did get cross-pollinated-it is not just the right size = or exactly the same color as all the rest-he calls it (in the = terminology of flower farmers) a rogue. So what do we do in the church? We take God's flowers and we want to = make them all the same size, all the same shapes, saying all the same = words. God comes to us for love and He loves us for our individuality. = He loves us for the way that He can make His light shine through each = and every one of us. He does not want all of us thinking the same way = and marching to the same drumbeat, and being the same person and using = the same language. He wants us all to relate with Him as individuals, = because He loves us as individuals. There is a philosophy in the church that wants to make you like an = artificial flower, that says, "No matter what grief or what tragedy, no = matter what searing, hot, fiery trial you are going through, you are = somehow less a Christian if you have not got that painted plastic smile = smeared across your face. I tell you this: when the real flower stands = in the field and the wind blows, it bends over; the bloom is wiped from = its face. And when the fires of adversity fall into the life of a = Christian, it is folly, it is foolish, irrational and impractical, and = it is idealistic for you to tell him that he has got to have that = plastic smile plastered across his face, day in and day out. A Christian said to me, "Pray for me. I don't seem to have the joy that = I used to have." When you know that millions of people are going to die, = that one third of the people in this world are going to be eaten up by = the fiery dragon of war; and when you know that millions are starving to = death all over the world today, then you can understand why the Bible = says that Jesus was "a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief" (Isa. = 53:3). It is a wonder that Christians are not more heavy hearted. How in = the world can you look out onto this mess and keep that plastic smile on = your face? God does bring us joy in the depths of our being, and many times we are = able to rejoice and smile in the face of adversity, but don't you feel = guilty or less a Christian if you are heavy hearted. You are out of your = environment. You are a child of heaven, a pilgrim on this earth. You are = heartsick. You look at this mess and you do not know what to do about = it. How can you have that plastic smile on your face all the time? Let me share a poem with you written by Robert Frost: "The rain to the = wind said, 'You push and I'll pelt.' They so smote the garden bed that = the flowers actually knelt, and lay lodged-though not dead. I know how = the flowers felt." When the winds of adversity and the rains of affliction come storming in = upon your life, it is not lack of faith if you bend. It is not lack of = faith if you are swept over and swept off your feet for a little while; = but remember that poem: They "lay lodged, though not dead." And when the = sun comes out again and the weight of that storm is taken off your = shoulders, because-like real flowers-you have Life in you, you rise up = and you can smile again. That is the difference: It is Life-Christ's = Life! Some terrible blows may come your way and send you reeling and you = may fall, but because you are real-you are not artificial-you will get = up and you will stand again. ------=_NextPart_000_0008_01C6234C.B66CD430 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

REAL OR ARTIFICIAL=20 LIFE

By Clinton White

God=92s people are referred to in the Bible as = God=92s garden. God=20 came to His garden once. The Bible teaches that "the Word was made = flesh, and=20 dwelt among us" (John 1:14), and that "He came unto his own and = his own=20 received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he = power to=20 become the sons of God" (John 1:11- 12). He came to His garden = seeking a=20 relationship with His children. And what did He find? He found = artificial=20 flowers.

Men have indulged in the art of flower making for = many years.=20 Not just since the invention of plastic, but for centuries before that, = they=20 made imitation flowers with paper, with bits of bark and other things. = Today the=20 art of artificial flower making has progressed to the point that just by = looking=20 you cannot tell the difference between the man made and the real = ones.

But what is the difference? The artificial ones = have no=20 life in them. And another big difference between an artificial = flower and=20 a real one is that the real flower comes to bloom, then goes to seed and = it=20 procreates. It causes other seeds, other flowers to grow. (The wind is = sent from=20 God to pollinate the flowers and spread them across the earth.)

When Jesus came, He spoke to a man called Nicodemus. = Nicodemus=20 was an artificial flower, for religion had made him externally look like = a child=20 of God. He was one of the biggest hybrid looking artificial flowers, = probably an=20 orchid, for he was a member of the Sanhedrin. He was a religious man and = this is=20 what religion does: it can make you appear outwardly to be a follower of = the=20 Lord Jesus Christ. Externally, Nicodemus and many others were religious = people,=20 but Jesus told them that they were "like unto whited sepulchres, = which indeed=20 appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones" = (Matt.=20 23:27).

Jesus looked at a group of people who had been = brought up in=20 religion all of their lives; from their childhood, they had been taught = the=20 Scriptures. And Jesus said to them, "Search the scriptures; for in = them ye=20 think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And = ye will=20 not come to me, that ye might have life" (John 5:39). = He was=20 telling them, "You have no life in you." Jesus looked at these people = who had=20 been religious all of their lives, and He saw them as artificial = flowers. And He=20 showed them how to become new. He put His hands on many of them and they = became=20 alive.

Men make artificial flowers. Men also tamper with = God's=20 flowers=97the people who love God in this world. If a flower farmer = wants to start=20 a certain strain of flower, he protects it from being cross-pollinated = by a bee,=20 an insect or by the wind, so that he can bring forth the same strain of = flower.=20 Now, if the flower farmer finds one that was not protected and it did = get=20 cross-pollinated=97it is not just the right size or exactly the same = color as all=20 the rest=97he calls it (in the terminology of flower farmers) a = rogue.

So what do we do in the church? We take God's flowers = and we=20 want to make them all the same size, all the same shapes, saying all the = same=20 words. God comes to us for love and He loves us for our individuality. = He loves=20 us for the way that He can make His light shine through each and every = one of=20 us. He does not want all of us thinking the same way and marching to the = same=20 drumbeat, and being the same person and using the same language. He = wants us all=20 to relate with Him as individuals, because He loves us as = individuals.

There is a philosophy in the church that wants to = make you like=20 an artificial flower, that says, "No matter what grief or what tragedy, = no=20 matter what searing, hot, fiery trial you are going through, you are = somehow=20 less a Christian if you have not got that painted plastic smile smeared = across=20 your face. I tell you this: when the real flower stands in the field and = the=20 wind blows, it bends over; the bloom is wiped from its face. And when = the fires=20 of adversity fall into the life of a Christian, it is folly, it is = foolish,=20 irrational and impractical, and it is idealistic for you to tell him = that he has=20 got to have that plastic smile plastered across his face, day in and day = out.

A Christian said to me, "Pray for me. I don't seem to = have the=20 joy that I used to have." When you know that millions of people are = going to=20 die, that one third of the people in this world are going to be eaten up = by the=20 fiery dragon of war; and when you know that millions are starving to = death all=20 over the world today, then you can understand why the Bible says that = Jesus was=20 "a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief" (Isa. 53:3). It is = a wonder=20 that Christians are not more heavy hearted. How in the world can you = look out=20 onto this mess and keep that plastic smile on your face?

God does bring us joy in the depths of our being, and = many=20 times we are able to rejoice and smile in the face of adversity, but = don't you=20 feel guilty or less a Christian if you are heavy hearted. You are out of = your=20 environment. You are a child of heaven, a pilgrim on this earth. You are = heartsick. You look at this mess and you do not know what to do about = it. How=20 can you have that plastic smile on your face all the time?

Let me share a poem with you written by Robert Frost: = "The=20 rain to the wind said, =91You push and I'll pelt.=92 They = so smote the=20 garden bed that the flowers actually knelt, and lay = lodged=97though not=20 dead. I know how the flowers felt."

When the winds of adversity and the rains of = affliction come=20 storming in upon your life, it is not lack of faith if you bend. It is = not lack=20 of faith if you are swept over and swept off your feet for a little = while; but=20 remember that poem: They "lay lodged, though not dead." And when the sun = comes=20 out again and the weight of that storm is taken off your shoulders, = because=97like=20 real flowers=97you have Life in you, you rise up and you can smile = again. That is=20 the difference: It is Life=97Christ=92s Life! Some terrible blows may = come your way=20 and send you reeling and you may fall, but because you are real=97you = are not=20 artificial=97you will get up and you will stand again.

 

------=_NextPart_000_0008_01C6234C.B66CD430--