Alone with God

The attack of the jar lid; thought I would share my experience – never know when you might be attacked by a lid.

Now, I know canning does have its dangers.  There is a danger of cutting oneself as we prepare the thing being canned.  Canners are heavy when filled and could cause a back strain when being moved.  Hot canners are just that and care must be used when handling the lid, pots and jars to avoid burns.  Boiling water could be splashed on a person, burning them.  A hot canner could be dropped, sending boiling water cascading over someone, jars breaking with glass shattering and cutting.   The processed jars and contents are also hot and can burn if not handled properly.

However, in all the years I have canned and the several decades Carla has been involved one way or another with canning, we have never heard of a deep cut caused by a jar lid.  Well, that has changed.

The other day while canning peaches I was removing the rings and lids off new jars.  Sometimes the lids stick to the tops of the jar and have to be pried off.  To do that we push on them with our thumbs, it may take a bit of pressure, but they are released and we wash and get them ready to put on the processed jars.

Only that day one of the lids sliced and I do mean sliced as if by a sharp knife, my thumb.  Deep and about 1.5 inches long.  It hurt – as you know lots of nerves at the tips of fingers – and it bled, hard – have gone through several band aids.  Being on warfarin doesn’t help that situation. 

I will be changing the way I do these from now on – I’ll let someone else do it......  No, just kidding.  I will use the opposite tip of the plastic lifter of hot jar lids (it has a magnet on the tip to pick up hot lids from water) to push them up. 

Speaking of canning we will be canning more peaches today and probably some tomatoes today and/or tomorrow. 

2 Corinthians  5:12-11  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

¹¹ Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.

I am reminded this morning that I am responsible for my own actions and thoughts.  When I meet Christ I meet Him alone.

My Pastors, my Sunday School teachers, those that have helped me through the years as I walked with Christ, will not be there.

My parents, my church membership, my ‘good’ deeds outside of those served for Christ will mean nothing when I stand before Him.

Now, those people will be there to greet me and rejoice with me on my entrance into heaven, but not at the judgment seat.  I will stand, alone, before God; He will pass judgment on me – alone.  For a non-Christian this will be a terrible time, one that will be just the beginning of their pain and suffering in eternity.

We may belong to a body of believers and we call it our church.  But we know Christ’s church is made up of believers, not a building or organization.

While we can attribute learning from and assistance in serving Christ to others, ultimately it comes down to us as an individual.  The body of believers is made up of individuals, like minded, but still individuals.

We can only be saved by making an individual decision for Christ.  We can only serve Him by making an individual decision to serve Him.  NO ONE else can make that decision for us.

If we are coerced, compelled, working because we are made to feel guilty – but not serving from a heart filled with a desire to serve Him, our service is nothing.  No matter how much we may do, if it is not from a heart turned towards God, doing it out of a love for HIM, it is as if we did nothing at all.

Paul reaffirms that in these verses.  He wants us to be critical of who we are in Christ.  He wants us to search our heart; he wants us to be focused on God, not on ourselves.  He is fearful for us, that if we have turn our back on God we will face His wrath.

The very essence of God is love, but God demands righteousness from His people.  God wants to forgive us and lead us in a walk of righteousness.  He has given us ample warning of what will happen if we reject Him. 

He has also given us His Word to guide us; His Holy Spirit to lead us and men and women of God to help us discern and divide His Word so we can apply it to our lives.

However, the responsibility of our life decisions, particularly concerning Christ, is ours; alone. 

Our walk with God is an individual walk.  It is different for each person.  Yet, it is the same in as much as it starts with the acceptance of salvation through Jesus Christ, and making Him the Lord of our life – and dedicating our life to Him.

It doesn’t matter how rich or poor, whether a person works as a farmer or lawyer.  It doesn’t matter whether we are male or female, old person or young.  It doesn’t matter what country we call our home, or even what part of the country.  We all have to make the same decision for or against Christ.

Once that decision is finally made – understanding that some people will take longer to realize who Christ is – then our walk with Him is unique from all others.

We might share the same parents, we might share the same church organization, we might share the same job, or the same hobbies, but we are different.  We are unique.  There is no one quite like us – even identical twins have many differences.

As we walk with God, those unique qualities can be used by Him to bring others to Christ.  We can see that to be true by how we ourselves relate to others.

We tend to listen to people who ‘have been there.’  We know their experiences have made an impact on their lives and their thought process.  We don’t have a baseball player come in and teach the basics of Police work.  Now he may have some thoughts on personal commitment, but we won’t listen when he tells us how to make an arrest – he doesn’t know.

It is the same with our walk with Christ.  We are going to gravitate to those of similar minds, those that have proven their dedication to Christ in their walk.  BUT, they are not responsible for our salvation or our walk, only their own.  IF in the course of their teaching they have led people astray from God then they will be responsible for those actions, but the people led astray still must account for their own decisions.

No matter who we are in Christ, no matter our social standing (or lack of it) no matter what we do for a living, one of the things we are responsible to Christ for is our sharing of His Gospel to others. 

We must come to the realization – each of us on our own – the truth of Paul’s concerns:  “Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men;”   When we accept this truth, then we understand that anyone without Christ is going to face the wrath of God, and we have the means to help them come to Him with a clean heart.

We do not have to stand on a soap box, we don’t have to drag someone aside, we don’t have to make pointed accusations at someone, we just need to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit and do what He tells us to do.

For most of us, those contacts are one on one.  It is fitting, because their confession to God, their acceptance of Christ is one on one with God.  We can help them come to Him, but only they can make the decision.

We are uniquely qualified to tell others about Christ and His love; because we are uniquely His.  He has placed us in a position to administer to others, where only we can present His Gospel in a way that will bring others to the realization they need Him.

Later, Art :-)

From the ColumbiaRiverGorgeous
May Our Good Lord Bless and Keep YOU....’til we meet again