From Peeling Onions to Growing Oaks |
How does the little acorn
become the mighty oak tree?
One afternoon many years ago, the author was in the family kitchen with her mother. An onion was being sliced and chopped in preparation for beef stew -
a family favorite. As much as I enjoyed the end result, that day I discovered some pungent pain. I cried.
As you may know, an onion sends gas into the air when it is cut.
Today that girl is a great-grandmother, and her tears usually come from the revelations of the devil's work in her family, her community, her nation . . .
and in the world.
Why pain, we wonder.
What brought about a terrible event, or that broken relationship?
We will attempt to peel away some layers (picture an onion) and to
reveal Truth. Then we will present some answers that have worked for us.
Remember the phrase, "The truth hurts."
The truth CAN hurt when God uses it to reveal sin and show us what we need to do through confession, receiving forgiveness, and making things right.
Too many people believe in what is called "cheap grace".
God's Word tells us that we must change our mind, and make restitution.
We must learn from God's rule book, the Holy Bible. Then we must decide to obey Our Heavenly Father. Apostle Paul wrote to his spiritual son, Timothy --
"It is God who works in you to will (want) to do of His good pleasure."
Otherwise, we are rebels - and rebellion is akin to witchcraft.
(The Bible says so.)
Of course, it has to start within the family unit.
What are the principles on which a family is built?
Is there a spiritual and moral foundation?
What beliefs will change my life?
What decisions should I make?
Let's ask ourselves,
Is my family doomed to constantly repeat the deadly mistakes of our ancestors, or . . .
Can I cooperate with God, identify the source of curses brought by sin,
and through Biblical prayer, reverse them?
YES! This is what God showed the author by a miracle, within hours of her conversion and healing in October of 1960.
For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died;
and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.
Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh;
even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer.
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation,
namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
2 Corinthians 5:16-20
[400 year-old Wye Oak
until June, 2002, when blown down by storm]
It begins with knowing that we need God.
It continues with our cry for his mercy,
because we cannot change ourselves.
The little acorn of
"new life in Christ"
can become a mighty oak!