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Isaiah 40:31. But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.
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I decided to become an astrophysicist at the age of eight. I read all the physics and astronomy books in the children’s section of my library. My family supported my voracious appetite for knowledge. My teachers assigned me lots of extra-curricular projects in the social sciences, which eventually sparked my spiritual quest. In my last year of high school, I studied the Thirty Years’ War for one extra project. I wondered why the Catholics and Protestants shed so much blood over trivial doctrine. I posed tough questions to my teacher, who sent me off to the library to read books on comparative religions. Read More...
The Goal Of My Life. It was a real struggle for me to become a Christian for a number of reasons. I had always prided myself in being a self-made man. I was used to being in control of my life. I was also afraid of what my friends would think. I looked at Christianity’s ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’ and thought that it was so narrow. Read More...
Tunnel Vision. In 1971, the troubles in Northern Ireland were increasingly becoming a danger to me and to my six children. We listened to horror stories of suffering every day on the radio. Our personal horror story came the night I was attacked by two gunmen. One beat me while asking me questions about someone’s whereabouts. Although I wasn’t a Christian, I silently prayed for God to help me. Read More...
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Written by Richard Innes / ACTS International
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Friday, 22 August 2008 13:29 |
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 "I being in the way, the LORD led me." Genesis 24:27
Saturday. It's my "fixing things at home" day. Last Saturday was no exception. I had lots of jobs I was wanting to get done. I was on my way home from the hardware store and lumber yard with a trunk load of stuff to work on. My shopping took much longer than I had planned and I was in a hurry to get home and get to work. I was singing heartily:
"Is there anything I can do dear Lord,Anything I can do,
For all that you have done for me, Is there anything I can do? I'm willing to be used dear Lord, What e'er the task may be. Is there anything I can do, dear Lord, Just make it plain to me."
Suddenly ... as I turned the corner I saw a "damsel in distress"—two of them in fact!
Here was a van stranded at a red stop light with a woman in the driver's seat and a teenage girl trying to push the vehicle across the street through a red light!
"Oh, no, I don't want to stop and help," I thought to myself. I'm already running late and have so much to do. Besides I have a sore back." So I continued on my way.
Immediately a little voice inside my head said, "You hypocrite, Innes, singing 'Is there anything I can do dear Lord ... Just make it plain to me!'" And another little voice inside my head said, "And how much plainer do you want it to be?"
I think God has a sense of humor ... "How much plainer do you want it to be?" My better sense won, so I turned back to help the ladies in distress. Fortunately another man stopped to help so we were able to push their van to safety off the main road.
I surely was glad that I stopped. The woman driver had just been beaten up by her husband and come from the hospital. Her face was a mess. There were several stitches on her nose and she had a black eye. Her husband was taken to jail and she and the daughter were left stranded. I had also been to the bank so gave this lady all the money I had on me. She wept. I asked her if I could pray for them. She said yes. We then called the local police who came to help.
I think God meant for me to be running late on Saturday ... and I'm so thankful that I listened to the little voice inside my head! What a privilege it is to serve the Lord by helping those in genuine need.
Suggested prayer, "Dear God, I am available. Please help me always to be sensitive to those who need your help through me. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer and using me in your work on earth. Gratefully in Jesus' name, amen."
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 23 August 2008 09:55 )
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