A holy man was having a conversation with God one day and said, ‘God , I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like.’God led the holy man to two doors. He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in.

In the middle of the room was a large round table. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew, which smelled delicious and made the holy man’s mouth water.

The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles, that were strapped to their arms and each found it impossible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful. But because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths. The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering. God said, ‘You have seen Hell.’

They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one. There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which made the holy man’s mouth water. The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking. The holy man said, ‘I don’t understand.’

“It is simple,’ said God . ‘It requires but one skill. You see they have learned to feed each other, while the greedy think only of themselves.’

JUDGE NOT. Remember…Just going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than standing in your garage makes you a car . We are NOT supposed to judge or take pleasure in someone else’s misery! Let us pray. Every saint has a PAST… Every sinner has a FUTURE!

It’s been unusually cloudy for the last month. No sun; just clouds, snow flurries and cold, day after day. As I was driving home from Johnson City the other day, I noticed that while it was snowing where I was, there were big, round holes in the clouds where the blue skies above could be seen. It reminded me of something that happened a long time ago.

Once, when I was going through a very difficult time, I had to get on a plane and fly from South Bend, Indiana to the Tri Cities. It was late May, but it was cold and rainy outside, and I felt cold and rainy inside, too. I sat in the plane, watching the raindrops run down the window, and felt sorry for myself. My whole life was upside down and out of control. I could not see or feel God anywhere around me. Finally, the plane started to move. As we accelerated toward take off, I watched the gray scenery pass by.

I am not a fearful flyer, but there is a part of my brain that thinks leaving the ground in a thin metal box is not a good idea. That goes double for doing so in the rain. It just doesn’t seem like a good plan. There’s that little catch as you leave the ground: it’s always a relief when the plane actually flies and you don’t go hurtling into the trees.

For the first few minutes, I couldn’t see anything at all out the window. We were in the clouds. It was wet and gray and very close. But then, something amazing happened. We pulled out on top of the clouds and it was sunny. Not just partly sunny, but bright sunshine everywhere, with the clouds far below.

I began to think about the fact that the sun is always there, even when it is completely concealed by clouds. The skies may look like a never ending sheet of gray but the sun is there, just above everything, doing what it always does.

God is the same way. My outlook may be bleak and gray, and I might not be able to see or feel God. That doesn’t change the fact that He is there. “…for He hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.” Hebrews 13:5. Just because I can’t see Him working in my life does not mean that He isn’t. He is shining every day, all day.

Jesus cares about all of our problems. He told us to consider the lilies, and to remember that He loves us more than any flower. He never loses sight of us, even when we can’t see Him.

That plane ride taught me a lesson. Now, when I am faced with the lowering skies of my problems, I try to remember to look up. God is there, shining His love and answers down on me, even when I can’t see Him.

That’s a lesson worth defying gravity to learn.

As we go about our day to day activities do we stop to consider the miracles around us every day? Since Chris has started to walk with his braces I began to think about the miracles in my life.

First and most important is the miracle of the Holy Ghost that dwells within. Second, God saw fit to give Paul and me a miracle child that has grown up to be a young man that has a deep, abiding love for God. To see him walk is a wonderful blessing.

But then my mind goes to the small miracles we sometimes take for granted, like the sunrise. Every time I see the sun rise I have to give God praise for another day. He gives us the air we breathe.

One of my favorite blessings is the smile of a child, or a simple hug or maybe an “I love you.” God has placed several sweet and adorable little ones in my life; I will treasure their memories always. God has also given me a wonderful family, and just as precious is my church family.

So as we go through our busy day to day routines, let’s take time to enjoy the sunrise or listen to the rain gently come down. Or maybe listen as the birds sing their song of praise. Hug your child or grandchild. Think about the steps you take as you walk and give God the praise for all these things and more. Enjoy the miracles all around you.

Sis. Evita Wilson

We walk through valleys only to reach the next mountain top. We walk through fires to attain the unmatched splendor and quality of gold. We travel through storms to find respite of peace and spiritual regeneration. We go through sickness, disappointments, despair, and all manners of tests and find that none of these can overcome us if we refuse to give up and walk through to the other side of the problem. Whatever the trial, whomever the accuser of our faith, there’s an end to the adversity, and we will reach that end.. if we persevere. We can endure for a season, because there is hope on the other side. We can make it through!

We are like the wise man that built his house on the rocks. Wind and rain assaulted all that he had worked so hard to construct. Hours of hard labor, sweat, sacrifice, effort, his faith, his dwelling faced the same elements that found his foolish neighbor. The difference lay in the foundation. He had wisely built upon the chief cornerstone that had and would continue to resist the storms of life. He made it through the storm to face another day of blessings and prosperity. HE found peace on the other side of the strong gales and dashing waves. No doubt, during the dark, boisterous assault of the storm he suffered loss; yet he made it through.

How refreshing! How liberating! How like our great, merciful God! Yes, He has confirmed there will be fires of testing, storms of destruction, valleys to face, and trials to overcome, but He has also confirmed that it’s not a permanent state of living. We will “go through” and reach the other side. Refocus, renew your vision. Look beyond the present problem and fix your eyes on what awaits you. You will make it through!

By Deborah Mayo
Apostolic Witness 04/1999

Excerpts from Reflections/January 2009 by Lori Wagner

Most of us lead hectic lives. It just seems to be the way the world is spinning these days. And when life gets crazy, we often have difficulty developing and maintaining friendships.

This is dangerous, Ladies. Neglecting our need to socialize could be harmful to our health, almost as damaging as life without chocolate. Face it, what else makes a women feel better when she is having a bad day emotionally? Chocolate and a good talk with a sweet sister? Which brings me to my point: Friends are like chocolate, you can’t live without them, but then again who wants to?

Friends are like chocolate chips in the cookie of life. Like chocolate, friends give us pleasure. They share the good times and the bad times.

“Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man’s friend. ( Proverbs 27:9). I once heard someone say, “the only thing better than a good friend is a good friend with chocolate.”

True friendships are among the many wonderful blessings of those who belong to the body of Christ. As believers, we find ourselves filling many different roles in the lives of others, a reciprocal arrangement that benefits our lives as well. The same friend that we celebrated with last week may lend us a shoulder to cry on this week.

There are times when we find out what a true friend really is. A real friend knows when to keep her mouth closed and her arms open (think of Job’s friend). A real friend knows when to say “I love you” instead of “you should…” A real friend knows when you need a pat on the back or a good kick in the backside. “Faithful are the wounds of a friend” (Proverbs 27:6).

A friend is defined as someone that you know and trust. Someone for which you have an affection and who provides cooperation or assistance. The times that we feel unloving or unfriendly, we would do well to take those emotions to the Word and let them sit there until they all get back to where they need to be. Someone wrote “ I am a woman of many moods, and they all require chocolate.” A friend is a gift from God, a gift to unwrap and enjoy over time, a gift to share with others.

 We are on a meticulously uncharted journey; one that began with spiritual rebirth and continues to carry us through the vast waters of time. God simplified the voyage for us, making the directions clear and unquestionable, when He deemed the path we are to take to be straight and narrow. No detours——no curves. No alterative routes. Just walk straight ahead on a narrow, unmistakable road.”

                  Each of us faces difficulties. We all “go through” trying times that test our stamina and seek to undermine our principles and erode our foundations. Many times we get stuck–mentally and spiritually–on our present location. We find ourselves in the heat of the battle, the middle of the storm, the depth of the valley, and we forget “through” simply means what it says ——it’s a temporary state of being, never meant to become permanent or dominant. It’s a space that is a minute in the gaze of God’s vision. “Going through” does not signify defeat; instead it declares a future victory. It’s time we direct our spiritual eyes to what is beyond the “through” and focus on the joys and triumphs that await on the other side of “through.” In the 23rd Psalm, David reveals his understanding of “going through” an undesirable experience: he confronts death and refers to it in this manner. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of death, I will fear no evil.” His reassuring words still echo a message of hope. Something beautiful, something too wonderful even for the Psalmist’s words lay beyond “through.” It’s called heaven. There’s just some things we must work our way “through” to get to the reward waiting beyond. When we do, heaven waits.

To be continued: