THROUGH THE BIBLE IN THREE YEARS
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In the cartoon strip, "Peanuts," Linus is describing a very unbelievable football game. The team was behind 6 to 0 and there were only 3 seconds to play. The home team had the ball on the one-yard line. The quarterback threw a perfect pass to the left end, who whirled away from four guys and ran all the way for a touchdown!
Linus told how the fans went wild, and the extra point was good! He described the excitement and celebration with a final comment, "It was FANTASTIC!"
Charlie Brown only had one question, "How did the OTHER team feel?"
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1 Cor 13:1
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
KJV
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Patricia Miller tells a story about how she began to work in the emergency room of a hospital. The pain and suffering were almost too much for her, so she learned to "block it out." After 5 years of working there, she virtually fulfilled her duties without compassion.
But then God intervened.
She was taking the information from a young mother who had been called in the middle of the night to come and help her daughter. The woman's daughter was an adult, living on her own, but had overdosed on drugs. Patricia took the information necessary and went to the copy machine. There, she felt God say, "You didn't even LOOK at her." Then she heard God repeat the statement, "You didn't even LOOK at her!"
Patricia apologized quietly to God, and returned to the woman. She handed her the information, and gently took her hands. She looked into the woman's eyes, with tears in her own, and said, "I care, don't give up."
The woman burst into tears and opened her heart to Patricia. She told how for so many years she had dealt with the rebellious daughter, and how the pain in her heart was so great. Then the woman thanked her for her compassion!
Patricia said, "...thanked me, the coldhearted one with no feelings! Jesus set me free that night. Set me free to CARE again!"
Let us remember that even our great Christian faith, when it is without compassion, is just a LOUD NOISE to others!
Line up the walk with the talk and don't balk.
Love ya,
Bruce