Devotionals

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SLINGING AROUND SOME...

Breezy and sunny was that day in the backyard at our farm in Eliot, Maine. Summertime and the tempers were short. There seems a dispute had arisen among us 4 kids. Being the "black sheep" of the family will make it not surprising that it was 3 against 1. Not good odds even if one has a "Major League Arm..."

I slyly backed over to my dad's outdoor workbench where he did "finishing" painting and staining. Caught them by surprise as I grabbed objects from the top of the bench. I started slinging them toward my siblings' direction---without looking where the objects were landing. First a big brush, then paint-mixing sticks, hunks of wood, little cans, big cans.

Hall of Fame "Slinging" awards piling up for me. Lots of slinging, quick and fast. Then I heard a SCREAM--- It was my sister Jean. A frightening sound... Turning around, I saw that she was RED over the whole left side of her body---head to toe! RED LIKE BLOOD! One of my slung cans must have hit her in the head. Now, I was a boy who could smell trouble. AND THIS WAS IT! My older brother Dwight and younger brother John were yelling at me. My mom came running to see what had happened. I just stood there with my mouth hanging open. The Major League Arm had gotten me into another predicament.

Would Jean have to go to a doctor? Or, worse, to the hospital?
And then, of course, their were consequences to be faced---by the throwee. Yikes, I should have stayed in bed that day.
Then I heard them saying PAINT---BRIGHT RED PAINT. IT WAS NOT BLOOD! Jean was OK. Just a knot on her head. After a nice kerosene shower, she would be fine. I was relieved that she was not hurt. I figured that PAINT instead of BLOOD had cut my potential "consequences" at least in half. But my "just reward" was still certain when dad came home.

BLOOD would have done me IN. Actually BLOOD did me OUT. But that was 10 or so years later. OUT from a life of misdirection, inner misery, guilt, depression, insecurity, and uncertainty. The OUT was the BLOOD shed on the cross by my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

"To Him (Jesus) Who loves us
and has FREED us from our sins
by His BLOOD..." Rev 1:5b.

"For you know that it was not with perishable things
such as silver or gold that you were redeemed
from the EMPTY WAY OF LIFE handed down
to you from your forefathers, but with the
precious BLOOD of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
He was chosen BEFORE the creation of the world,
but was REVEALED in these last times for your sake.
Through Him you believe in God, Who raised Him
from the dead and glorified Him,
and so your faith and hope are in God." 1 Pet 1:18-21.

"For God was pleased to have all His fullness
dwell in Him,
and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things,
whether things on earth or things in heaven,
by making peace through His BLOOD, shed on the cross."
Col 1:19.

SUMMARY VERSE:
"But now in Christ Jesus you who once were FAR AWAY
have been brought NEAR through the BLOOD of Christ."
Eph 2:13

THE MAGNETIC DRAWING POWER OF
THE BLOOD OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

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