Weight Limit

"It doesn't take a theological degree to win someone for Christ. It takes love willing to build a bridge sufficient to bear the weight of the Gospel." - Clarence Gillett

A retired missionary and current friendship partner sharing the love of Jesus Christ with international students, Clarence knows what he is talking about. If you took a snapshot of Clarence, he'd look like your average American fella. But to meet him, observe him, and hear him speak you'd perceive much more.

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience," states Colossians 3:12.

Had Clarence memorized that verse? Had he decided to make it the hallmark of his life? Or had he walked so closely with Jesus that the character of our Lord just shown through?

Clarence lives his words. Walks the talk. Living as a loving Christ follower. Sharing that love by his actions from his character.

Colossians 3 continues its challenge in verses 13-14, "Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."

Clarence made me think.

He should make you think, Christ follower.

Am I sharing the good news of new life in Jesus?

Am I loving others like Jesus as I share?

Are compassion and kindness traits I am known for?

Would my friends call me humble and gentle?

Am I patient?

Does my family know me as forbearing and forgiving?

And what about love. 

Do I love like Jesus?

Freely. Passionately. Winsomely.

It takes God-powered, other-centered love to build a bridge that will bear the weight of the Gospel.

The bridges I build will be limited by love I give.

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Come, Thou Fount

My spirit was stirred as when an angel touches a pool in singing “Come,Thou Fount of Evening Blessing” with those gathered in revival meeting last night.

A London hoodlum, 17 years old and full of self, went to hear Evangelist George Whitefield preach in 1752. He later recorded that he went with the purpose “of scoffing at those poor, deluded” Christians. Yet, in the power of the Holy Spirit, drawn by the irresistible grace of a loving, heavenly Father the hood was converted instead.

Robert Robinson, who had led a life of debauchery and crime, came to eternal, saving faith in Christ. His life was never the same. Soon he was called to preach and eventually to pastor. He penned what would become his most famous work, Come, Thou Fount, at 22 in 1757.

As you read his five, original verses that follow, will you let the cleansing, powerful fountain of God wash you anew. Or wash you for the first time.

Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,

Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;

Streams of mercy, never ceasing,

Call for songs of loudest praise.

Teach me some melodious sonnet,

Sung by flaming tongues above.

Praise the mount, I’m fixed upon it,

Mount of Thy redeeming love.

Sorrowing I shall be in spirit,

Till released from flesh and sin,

Yet from what I do inherit,

Here Thy praises I'll begin;

Here I raise my Ebenezer;

Here by Thy great help I’ve come;

And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,

Safely to arrive at home.

Jesus sought me when a stranger,

Wandering from the fold of God;

He, to rescue me from danger,

Interposed His precious blood;

How His kindness yet pursues me

Mortal tongue can never tell,

Clothed in flesh, till death shall loose me

I cannot proclaim it well.

O to grace how great a debtor

Daily I’m constrained to be!

Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,

Bind my wandering heart to Thee.

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,

Prone to leave the God I love;

Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,

Seal it for Thy courts above.

O that day when freed from sinning,

I shall see Thy lovely face;

Clothed then in blood washed linen

How I’ll sing Thy sovereign grace;

Come, my Lord, no longer tarry,

Take my ransomed soul away;

Send thine angels now to carry

Me to realms of endless day.

There is power in the imagery of a fountain, pure and clean, springing from rock and giving life to it's surroundings as with Refugio dos Falcoes, Brazil above.

There is greater power in God as the Holy Spirit can change any live. Confess your sins, friends, as He is faithful and just to forgive all sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. What you’ve done. What’s been done to you.

All the wickedness. All the guilt. All the pain. Can be washed away. In the fount of every blessing.

to you at fortytwo

older than you

or younger

by a few

middle-aged they say

now what to do

celebrating another year

forty plus two

blessed as i can be

blessed by who

thanking God for life

thanking God for you

No Limits

What is it about love?

You think you can't love a person any more.

And then you do.

They do something.

They say something.

A good something.

Even a heartbreaking something.

And then you love them more.

Or maybe.

You think something.

You feel something.

Something only within you.

And then you love them more.

What is it about love?

I have a guess.

Love knows no limits.

More Than Too Much

You do not meet John Mark.

You experience him.

He's the silly one.  On the left.

My son.  Almost five.

Wants a daily wrestle with Dad.

Hugs his siblings hard enough to make 'em beg.

Too raucous for his Mama sometimes.  I get the earful.

The boy is rough as a corncob.

Guaranteed 100% cob action.

He plays hard.

But.

He loves hard too.

The tenderest lionheart you'd ever meet.

And in those moments he says things that make you love him even more.

Said to his Mama recently, "Sometimes I love you too much, Mama. God loves me even more than that. Right?"

"Yes, God loves you even more than that," she replied.

I love my boy.  My love can't compare however.

God loves me - and you - more.

I pray you know that love & feel it right now.  If not, drop me a note.  Let me pray for you.  Let me tell you how. God loves you.

More than too much.