Separatistic?

(03.07..11—Compassion’s Garden!--Hebrews 4:14-16)

May I ask you a question? As we go about living in this noisy world it’s difficult to actually shut it out. Do we just cope or do we strive to shun it?

My friend, Life’s a story, welcome to This Passing Day.

I'm M. Clifford Brunner.

We live in a very noisy world. Think about the last time you actually shopped, ate or visited and there wasn’t background noise. Holly and I caught a sandwich at a local sub shop recently and the minute we went through the door we were greeted with a blast of very vocal, background music. I tuned into it quickly but as I looked around at the other patrons no one seemed at all disturbed by either the volume or the particularly bad lyrics they were hearing. The sounds and words were entering those ear canals but evidently their ears had some sort of shut-off device my model didn’t come with. I seemed to have been the only annoyed customer in the shop.

As we go about living in this noisy world it’s difficult to actually shut it out. Do we just cope or do we strive to shun it?

Here's a story: Many years ago, a London musician was walking the streets near Westminster Abbey. As he walked he passed a newsboy whistling a song, but quite out of tune. He thought nothing of it until he met another newsboy a block later whistling as well, out of tune. Although he found it odd, he thought nothing of it until he returned to that same locale a week later and ran into several other newsboys, all whistling different melodies, all out of tune. A while later he had the opportunity to bring this oddity up to a group of musician friends, noting that newsboys in that certain part of London all whistled out of tune as they went about their work. It was talked about and someone suggested that it was because the bells of Westminster Abbey were slightly out of tune. Something had gone wrong with the chimes and they were discordant. The musicians theorized that the boys didn’t know there was anything wrong with the peals, and quite unconsciously had copied the out-of-tune pitch. (Donald Grey Barnhouse.)

God has given us His Word which is the absolute pitch of life and living. If we learn to sing by it, we shall easily detect what is false in all of the music of the world. Tuning out the evil in the world around us can become habit. Like those diners in the sub shop, it’s merely a matter of conditioning. Yet, we may think that we aren’t hearing the message but it is getting in nonetheless. The Bible tells us that God has chosen us “out of the world” (John 15:19). This means that He has separated us and we are to recognize our separateness and glorify God in opposing the “noise” the world wants us to accept. Shunning the world, the secular noise all around us, is the first step in finding that personal relationship with our Heavenly Father that can only happen when the noise of the world is silenced and God is the constant harmony in the background of our lives.

We pray. Heavenly Father, You tell us that You have chosen us “out of the world”. This means that You have separated us and we are to recognize our separateness and glorify You in opposing the “noise” the world wants us to accept. Shunning the world, the secular noise all around us, is the first step in finding that personal relationship with our You that can only happen when the noise of the world is silenced and You are the constant harmony in the background of our lives. In Jesus name we pray. Amen!

Therefore my friend, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry for itself; each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matt 6:34) This Passing Day. May this passing day honor our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and be a blessing to you and everyone you meet. Find a stranger and say hello. Don't let another day pass without your day blessing someone else.

If you have a special prayer request, please send your request to ”This Passing Day!”

<thispassingday@gmail.com> From Beech Springs, God bless you for Jesus sake.

Separatistic?

(03.07..11—Compassion’s Garden!--Hebrews 4:14-16)

May I ask you a question? As we go about living in this noisy world it’s difficult to actually shut it out. Do we just cope or do we strive to shun it?

My friend, Life’s a story, welcome to This Passing Day.

I'm M. Clifford Brunner.

We live in a very noisy world. Think about the last time you actually shopped, ate or visited and there wasn’t background noise. Holly and I caught a sandwich at a local sub shop recently and the minute we went through the door we were greeted with a blast of very vocal, background music. I tuned into it quickly but as I looked around at the other patrons no one seemed at all disturbed by either the volume or the particularly bad lyrics they were hearing. The sounds and words were entering those ear canals but evidently their ears had some sort of shut-off device my model didn’t come with. I seemed to have been the only annoyed customer in the shop.

As we go about living in this noisy world it’s difficult to actually shut it out. Do we just cope or do we strive to shun it?

Here's a story: Many years ago, a London musician was walking the streets near Westminster Abbey. As he walked he passed a newsboy whistling a song, but quite out of tune. He thought nothing of it until he met another newsboy a block later whistling as well, out of tune. Although he found it odd, he thought nothing of it until he returned to that same locale a week later and ran into several other newsboys, all whistling different melodies, all out of tune. A while later he had the opportunity to bring this oddity up to a group of musician friends, noting that newsboys in that certain part of London all whistled out of tune as they went about their work. It was talked about and someone suggested that it was because the bells of Westminster Abbey were slightly out of tune. Something had gone wrong with the chimes and they were discordant. The musicians theorized that the boys didn’t know there was anything wrong with the peals, and quite unconsciously had copied the out-of-tune pitch. (Donald Grey Barnhouse.)

God has given us His Word which is the absolute pitch of life and living. If we learn to sing by it, we shall easily detect what is false in all of the music of the world. Tuning out the evil in the world around us can become habit. Like those diners in the sub shop, it’s merely a matter of conditioning. Yet, we may think that we aren’t hearing the message but it is getting in nonetheless. The Bible tells us that God has chosen us “out of the world” (John 15:19). This means that He has separated us and we are to recognize our separateness and glorify God in opposing the “noise” the world wants us to accept. Shunning the world, the secular noise all around us, is the first step in finding that personal relationship with our Heavenly Father that can only happen when the noise of the world is silenced and God is the constant harmony in the background of our lives.

We pray. Heavenly Father, You tell us that You have chosen us “out of the world”. This means that You have separated us and we are to recognize our separateness and glorify You in opposing the “noise” the world wants us to accept. Shunning the world, the secular noise all around us, is the first step in finding that personal relationship with our You that can only happen when the noise of the world is silenced and You are the constant harmony in the background of our lives. In Jesus name we pray. Amen!

Therefore my friend, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry for itself; each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matt 6:34) This Passing Day. May this passing day honor our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and be a blessing to you and everyone you meet. Find a stranger and say hello. Don't let another day pass without your day blessing someone else.

If you have a special prayer request, please send your request to ”This Passing Day!”

<thispassingday@gmail.com> From Beech Springs, God bless you for Jesus sake.