Cornerstone Church of God
Arcadia, Nova Scotia, Canada
From the
Toolbox - Paul Branscombe
Finally,
brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right,
whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if
anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things.
Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me or seen in
me-put it into practise. And the God of peace will be with you.
Philippians 4:8-9 (NIV)
Certain tools are very handy. I
carry my essential tools in a large yellow toolbox. So if something
in the house breaks, I grab my toolbox and pretend to fix the broken
item. Sometimes I actually fix the broken item! In Christianity
there are certain tools that are needed on a daily basis. These handy
tools can create great strength in our Christian growth. In
Christianity we need to bring special tools with us on our journey.
First special tool from the toolbox is a
hammer.
Jesus
rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy and he was healed from
that moment. Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked,
"Why couldn't we drive it out?" He replied, "Because you have so
little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a
mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there'
and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."
Matthew 17:18-20 (NIV)
Whatever a hammer hits it makes an
impact. A nail is a smooth piece of metal that is forced into a piece
of wood by constant pounding. Bam! Bam! All of us have the ability
to make an impact on the life of someone else. The impact can be good
or bad. As fathers we can be important in our children's life. We
can bring blessings or curses to our children. Remember little eyes
are watching everything that you do. We are not perfect, but we try.
If you are wrong say "I am sorry". You will see all of your strengths
and weaknesses in your children's eyes. When I look at my daughter
Emily, tears come into my eyes, and I see an individual better than
myself.
We need to make a conscious effort
to touch people. How can I reach my neighbour for Christ? We need to
always be reaching and stretching. Trying to help people to see the
wonder and glory of God. This needs to be our mission. Christ will
give you the strength and wisdom to speak to people. He wants us to
have a burden for those who have not met Christ. We have more
potential that is realized. With God's help and strength we can crack
concrete. Making a noticeable dent in society with a radiance and
influence from the Lord. Your impact cannot help but to be
recognized.
A hammer can straighten a bend
bar. With a few well precision strikes with a hammer, the bar is
straight again. Sometimes we may feel broken and bent. God can
straighten out our life if we let Him. He has better eyesight. He
can see the wrong turns that we have taken. You may feel that you
have wandered too far from Him. That is not true. All you need to do
is listen to Him now. Time that you spend with God will change you.
You will become more sensitive and loving. You will realize all those
inner feelings and attitudes that need changing. Your transformation
will impact many people.
Second special tool from the toolbox is
a drill.
Therefore,
since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us
throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily
entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for
us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus the author and perfecter of our
faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its
shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12L1-2 (NIV)
A screw has a thin strip of metal
circling the screw. When it is drilled into a piece of wood it
attaches to the fibers of the wood. As men we need to attach to
elements stronger than ourselves. We need to attach ourselves to:
God, family and responsibilities. We need to take care of our family
and work hard to provide for their needs. We need to show them that
God does exist. He is alive and active today. We need to realize
that the Bible is more than a book of stories, but a guiding light for
my life. All this information is counterculture to what we hear on
television and read in magazines. There is a great purpose for our
lives that is controlled by God. Nothing that happens to us is an
accident. I may not understand. I may get mad at the outcome, but
that does not change the fact that God is the boss of my life.
There are times that it feels like
you are in a spiritual wasteland. Nothing grows. Dust is everywhere
and sand fills the landscape. You pray but nothing seems to happen.
You wonder is God is listening. At this time you need to dig deeper.
The water you crave from the Holy Spirit is not at the surface. You
need a large machine to drill a well that will not go dry. How do you
do that? Get in touch with the word of God. God will raise your
spiritual confidence level. You realize that He will never leave
you. He works according to His schedule not ours. When we take time
and pray to Christ, our outlook changes. You will realize that He is
with you on the lonely walk that you take. He Will bring you out of
the desert.
Do you want more of God? Start up
the drill and start digging! Whirl...Whirl. It looks like we have
hit water. We have dug past the large boulders that block up our
life. Do you want a drink? It is free? All you have to do is ask.
You have never tasted water that is as fresh. It is crystal clear and
has absolutely no impurities in it. Once you have a taste of this
water you will never settle for ordinary tap water. This water will
quench your thirst. With God on your side, amazing events will happen
in your life. Once Christ has become a central partner in your life,
everyday will become amazing.
Third special tool from the toolbox is a
sander.
Cleanse me
with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than
snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let bones you have crushed
rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within
me.
Psalms 51:7-10 (NIV)
Our life is like a piece of wood
that has been damaged. It is dented, cracked and all full of
splinters. To some, this piece of wood is worthless. In the right
hands it can be salvaged. The craftsman takes the wood, planes it,
sands it and preserves the finish with varnish. It is no longer in
the junk pile. All those rough edges have been smoothed out. Christ
can see rough edges in our life and wants to sand out the splinters.
He wants us to be smooth to touch. The process can be a bit long and
frustrating. I guarantee that the craftsman knows what He is doing.
You will become beautiful.
Hmmm...Hmmm...The sander has
started. You can see fine wood shavings flying everywhere. It fills
the air with a fine light brown powder. You press on. You touch the
wood. Ooooh! That feels good...no rough spots. If we want to be
honest, sometimes our life has a few rough spots. The hurts of life
have caused roughness to our life. We are not as sensitive as we
should be. We may not even be aware of our rough areas. We may be
rude to our family, friends and neighbours. We think it is alright
because no one notices. Pssst...God notices! He sees our improper
attitudes. He wants to remove them from our life. A little gentle
sanding can make us smooth again.
Under layers of paint and neglect,
lies beauty. An old dresser bought in a yard sale for a few dollars
can be a treasure. It is an effort of time and love. Remove all the
layers of ugly paint and see the natural beauty in the wood. Your
life may be filled with a lot of pain and sorrow. Just like the
layers of paint on an old dresser. In life we have one bad experience
after another. We constantly add layers of bitterness and anger to
our life. God can remove all those bitter layers and let the natural
beauty of Christ shine.
Conclusion
The tools that you carry are very
important. Remember to pack the right tools in you yellow toolbox.
These special tools can greatly help our Christian life.