||
||||||||
|| How beautiful on the mountains
|| are the feet of those ... who
|| proclaim salvation, who say to
Zion, "Your God reigns!"
Pastor RALPH & GENE ANN WOOD --Isaiah 52:7 (NIV)
E-mail: randg.wood@encode.com
FRESH MANNA, 31/01/1998 .................. 2 CORINTHIANS 6:14-16a
{14} Do not become unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what
partnership [have] righteousness and lawlessness? Or what
communion [has] light with darkness? {15} But what harmony [has]
Christ with Beliar [/Belial]? Or what part [has] a believer with
an unbeliever? {16} But what agreement [has] God's temple with
idols?-- For -we- [/-you-] are the living God's temple!
--2 CORINTHIANS 6:14-16A (RLW)
In 1985, we went to Britain; to visit relatives, and to hike
the West Highland Way. (An excellent trail, though it got the
better of us, and we never got back to vindicate ourselves!) On
the way home, our plane was delayed, as we later learned, so a
broken hydraulic line could be replaced. I think they could have
got the wheels -up-, on take-off, but they couldn't have got them
back down again, later! This left us several hours to wait.
The terminal at Gatwick airport was built on an open plan. A
large lower level, or concourse, as I recall, where you signed in
and made all your arrangements. Around the outer part of this
was a second level you could see from below. As we sat there, we
thought, "Let's go up to the chapel and have some prayer time!"
At the chapel, we sat down and composed ourselves for prayer.
Nothing. The air in the chapel was dead. It was oppressive.
You just couldn't pray in there. We thought, "Because it's a
small, enclosed space", so we went back down to the wide-open
concourse. And there we could pray! It was refreshing!
Then, we looked up to the higher level. There, you could see
the outer wall of the chapel. It was decorated with the symbols
of several religions. No wonder God wouldn't bless it; evidently
it was some sort of "multi-faith" place: hence, no partnership,
no communion, no harmony, no part, no agreement with God. But
there's a sequel:-- Last year, Gene was at Gatwick again. And
had time to wait, again. But this time, she found a Christian
pastor about to hold a communion service in that same chapel.
This time, God had taken authority over it! They shared a time
of encouraging fellowship in Christ. You could pray, worship,
break bread together! The spirit this time, was different!
Let's learn from this. God says, "Do not become unequally
yoked with unbelievers". If we disobey, He won't be in it! But
if we comply-- that, He will bless! Praise His name! --RLW
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