Friday, October 23, 2009

In contact

Greetings!

I am so pleased that you visit this site. Glad to have you with us. While it had been my desire to add new entries more often than I have, I will try harder to do just that in the weeks ahead.

While Pastor has been away, still people find that the Gospel is good for the soul. From what I understand, New Life is still being offered to those who come to ICCS. This is very good.

New life.

Since being in the LA area, I have come to re-understand a simple truth. Transformed lives speak loudly!

I have a friend here who lived on the wild side of life for a season. He grew up with a Christian upbringing, but left it to sample life without Christ. He worked very hard in business and was on call all over the globe to settle business deals. His nick-name was "Big Money." "Bring Big Money in to settle the issues!" "Big Money" would come in and in no time at all, the deal was cut. His company was ready to promote him to become VP-head the North American division. With this raise, he would need to lie. He had to fire a young person who was in the right, but the system was set in such a way that to let him go was their only recourse. My friend said no. That would be dishonest.

By the end of the next week, he was no longer working for the world-wide company. He was on his own. He felt good about not telling a lie but he was not making any money. He knew inside his heart that he had made a painful yet right decision. Now what?

In a few days, he was walking through a home center when a lady asked for help. Store workers were no where in sight yet she was waiting for a long time for some help. She asked my friend what kind of materials would be used for a certain job and he said he could help her. After the material was found, she asked: "Do you know anyone who could do this work for me?" He replied he could do it himself. By the end of that first small job, she hired him again for some more work and a neighbor asked him to do something in her house and by the end of the month, he realized that he could make a good living doing what he had been doing since he was fired.

Now, he is an independent home builder. He pulls a 30 foot trailer with all his 'stuff' around to each work-site. He is busy--even in this economy.

Why share this story? Because this friend was in contact with the One who could hold him up. It had not been easy and it has not been easy. (Two years ago, his 30 foot trailer was stolen and ALL his tools were gone. Within a week, he had enough tools given to him to restart working again. The trailer was found and he fixed it up and now he is more careful where he parks the rig.) His Fellowship surrounded him. He had other men come stand with him during this hard time. He now helps other men who may need a job, gives advice and offers friendship. "Iron sharpens iron," is his favorite line. Last week, he had me helping him with some new cabinets he had been working on. In two months, we are in a play together.

New life. Transformed life.

Speaks loudly.

Stay in contact with Him. Stay in contact with those who know the One who gives life. That Man is Jesus!