Making a Difference

Most weeks I spend reading the scriptures and learning for myself. Only to discover that what I am reading could be out of today's papers. Recently I have been reading Ezekiel and the tremendous description he gives of the Temple of God and the City as God has given to him. The precise measurements and it got me thinking about the other constructions and detailed plans that were given to Noah, Moses to name but a few - they carried out their instructions and were given a way out of the difficulties that their people faced. Those that chose to follow Gods instructions were indeed saved from destruction and many other people’s lives were saved because to their obedience to God. Even Abraham who right at the beginning chose to follow Gods instructions to leave Ur in Chaldea - not even disputing whether it could be /should be done. These men believed and trusted God. Yesterday, I got think seriously about the instructions that God had given to us as his children. I considered the precision in Gods designs for the Solomon’s and Ezekiel’s Temples, Moses’s Tent, Noah's Ark and even us as Human beings I actually sat down and wrote what I was thinking at the time and found it quite a challenge to realise that we as human beings are pretty big headed and strong willed to go against the Almighty God. We consider it perfectly ok to go have breast implants – even at a very young age – believing that we are not good enough if we do not have big boobs – what is that in aid of – is this man’s perception or is it women’s perception that they think that all men like big boobs – surely when we look at human race we come in all shapes and sizes – all different colours too – that one is really hard one to change – Michael Jackson tried that one – shame to distort oneself in the name of beauty or fashion it is both irresponsible to the younger women/girls growing up, and even young boys getting the idea that they need to even make cosmetic changes to their appearances – are we society that only accepts the so called beauty of this world – who is telling us what kind of beauty is? We look at the men and women in the Bible – we do not see them running off to the local cosmetic surgeon – the only change that God required from man was that he should be circumcised in honour of Gods covenant – this was done to all the people who were choosing to Follow Gods Commandments and His regulations. We see it also being done to a group of men as a punishment for raping one of the daughters of Israel – however that is a different matter entirely. What I am trying to get at is this God made us as we are – some with more attributes than others on the outside – however there are others who a less fortunate in the looks stakes that have incredible hearts of love and grace which does not fit with the so called beauties of the world. Remember God looks on the inside of a person more to the heart of the person than the outside – remember when Jacob had the fight with the angel in the desert he came away limping because God had touched his hip and shortened his gait to remind him of his battle with God in the night – to remember whom he is serving. We consider the less fortunate physically as something to be looked down on and despised yet they have the hearts that forgive and give incredible joy to their families. We consider the rejected as if they were nothing – yes, we all walk past the man or woman that needs sometimes just someone to smile and say hello and just to acknowledge that they too are part of the human race. Remember Yeshua/Jesus came for just such people, the down and outs, outcasts of society – rejected and broken hearted. God calls for us to have our hearts circumcised by having our stony hearts replaced by a heart of compassion. We all saw the incredible feats that took place it the Para-Olympics – the courage and strength and immense grace some of these people displayed. The joy and excitement of even the least was able to really raise a cheer even greater than on the normal Olympics – yet when we see a disfigured person on the street we turn our face away and even try to ignore them – yet these people are like you and me in side – they hurt, they cry, they wish they were something different – yet God in his infinite wisdom has created them just the way they are. I have a cousin who is spinabifida (born with a developmental anomaly characterised by defective closure of the vertebral arch) which caused him great difficulty – yet he raised to the challenge had held a very prominent position in Social Services in Wales for a long time. He also works very hard for the Red Cross – his a great source of courage and encouragement to me. Watching struggle with his frame and knowing how much he loves life and his loving wife and family – it is amazing to think that when he was born he was not given long to live. Nor was his given much hope of having a long life – yet here he is pushing over 65 – a retired man with so much energy for helping others. He was one of the fortunate ones – God gave him grace for his life WE have some interesting discussions. We look at our outward selves too much in considering how we should be yet, right inside each one of us is the possibility to make our bodies ugly with our inward person too. No amount of make up or plastic surgery can change the person you are inside. Myself I have struggled all my life with being short-sighted and having a weight problem – yet each day I raise up and praise God for his incredible beauty that he has created – the flowers, trees, birds and bees, the mountains and seas – these great and wondrous gifts too are created by him for our benefit too. When we look at nature we can see how the trees have been gnarled by time and wind, we can see just how devastating a tree disease can be on a population of trees – we care for them and we try to find ways to improve their growth. Mankind has tried to manipulate humans too, devising ways of cloning and dna structures – yet they cannot create a human being – only God has the ability to do that. He is the one who put the dna in each of us, from time beginnings – yet with each one there is a subtle difference – yet we are all the same when He looks at us. He sees his creation and considered it finished and worthy of enjoying. Are we going to continue to mess with things that we are scientifically, physically incapable of changing without some side effects. Consider the many disasters that have happened to people who have had cosmetic surgery done on their faces only to find that instead of appearing more beautiful they now feel they cannot face life because of the scarring and skin colour tone has changed – using different parts of the body which were designed for different purposes in fact has caused a lot of misery. I am not talking about reconstructive surgery for people who have had their faces blown away by bombs, fires, etc – I am talking about the beauty industry which allows people to believe that they can make a difference to a person’s life for the better – only afterwards they actual truth is revealed. Going down the road of cosmetic surgery is dangerous. Yet it is up to each one to make up their own mind if they consider it to be a good or bad thing. For me, God made a precisely engineered and beautiful creation – why mess with it. Why fix which is not broken – broken bodies can heal – scarred tissue does not recover so well. Anyway that is my thoughts on the matter. I enjoy good health – praise God, I am alive and well, I may creak and I may not be so fit, nor slim as the supermodel next door – yet I can honestly say I thank God for making me me. Over the years with damages done due to falls and accidents of one nature or another I am still in one piece. Can you say the same! Can you praise God for your life and your body? Do I make a difference to others – with what I write – I do not honestly know but I hope that in some small way I can encourage someone to see themselves as God sees them – great and beautiful – with just the right amount of skin on each part that is required to move successfully and to enjoy the feeling of the wind on your skin and the sun too. WE all in the past have wanted to change something to make ourselves more acceptable – but when you ask yourself – who are you making yourself acceptable to – for me the only person that matters if I am acceptable is God himself – He made me. I was given a prophecy once where God was going to break me down and remould me – from inside out – I thank God that in the transition period it has been a real challenge to go from a heart of stone and fear to one of joy and excitement to getting up each day with praise on my mind and lips for the living God. I know most will not read this far. Hope that you have enjoyed my journey today. I look forward to my next serious consideration on the matter of life with God and His ordinances and His grace. May you enjoy your life and look at yourself as God sees you – remember When you have Yeshua/Jesus on the inside then the outside shines with Him. No amount of makeup can do that. Look to God for a new heart and mind set – think differently about yourself, consider yourself worthy of love and grace and peace. Consider why Christ came – for in his salvation we have life more abundantly – in His death and resurrection we see the Power of the Living God pour out into us for us to become more like Him – filled with the Spirit of Yeshua/Jesus with His love shinning and His compassion pouring out to others. Think not what can God do for you - what is that God wants you to do for him.