A Legal Dilemma

The story is told of an early Russian tribal leader who issued only two laws: The first ordered all tribal members to love their parents. The second commanded that they not steal.

This man's leadership and these two laws made his tribe the greatest in all of Russia.

One day, it was discovered that someone was stealing. This greatly angered the leader. He brought all the people together and said, "Let the thief come forward and receive ten lashes for his crime."

No one stepped forward, so he upped the punishment to 20 lashes, then to 30, and finally, to 40. He stopped there because he knew that only a very strong man could survive more than 40 lashes with the whip.

The leader then dispersed the crowd and sent his men to search until they discovered the thief. Within a week, they brought the thief to the leader. On seeing who it was, the leader gasped. It was his own mother!

The guards began wagering among themselves as to what their great leader would do. Would he obey his second law, keep his word, and whip his mother? Or would he obey his first law, love his mother, and let her go?

Either way, he would break a law and bring disgrace upon himself and the laws he sought to enforce. Yet, if the crime went unpunished, everyone would steal.

The leader gathered the tribe together. They brought his mother forward and bared her frail back. Then, just before the whip master brought the first blow down upon her, the leader strode over to his mother, tore off his shirt, and draped himself over her slight body, taking the 40 lashes himself. Both laws were satisfied.

Isn't that just what Jesus did for us? All of us have been disobedient and fallen short of God's purpose in creating us. The Sinless Son of God took the punishment we deserved on himself at the Cross. We should have died for our own sins, but Jesus took our place.

Courtesy Google.com

It Is Finished!

An interesting story on Facebook caught my eye this morning. World War II had been over for 29 years when a Japanese lieutenant named Hiroo Onoda surrendered to Allied Forces in the Philippines on March 9, 1974.

Courtesy Google.com

As the war neared its end, Onoda and three other soldiers became cut off on Lubang Island in the Philippines when US troops worked their way north. The young intelligence officer had been ordered to conduct guerrilla warfare and not to surrender.

After the Japanese surrendered to Allied Forces, leaflets, including letters from family members, telling them that the war was over and encouraging them to surrender were dropped from planes, but the men determined they were bogus. They continued to engage in sporadic clashes with local residents.

One of the men deserted in 1949 and surrendered in 1950. A second man was killed in a shootout with a search party in 1954. The third was killed during guerrilla raid in 1972. Mr. Onoda ignored all attempts to get him to surrender.

In 1974, a Japanese tourist met up with Onoda in the jungle and tried to convince him that the war was over. He refused to surrender unless his commanding officer ordered him to do so.

Finally, in 1974 the Japanese government located Onoda's former commanding officer, Major Yoshima Taniguchi, and flew him to Lubang. On March 9, 1974, he met with Onoda and rescinded his original orders in person.

Onoda in 1944 and in 1974
Courtesy Google.com

Only then did Mr. Onoda salute the Japanese flag and hand over his Samurai sword, his still functioning rifle, 500 rounds of ammunition, several hand grenades, and the dagger his mother had given him to kill himself if he was captured. He still wore his tattered army uniform.

Although many in Lubang never forgave him for the thirty people he killed during his campaign on the island, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos pardoned him for his crimes. Onoda died in 2014 at the age of eighty-two.

"I had been ordered not to surrender. If I could not carry out my orders, I would feel shame," he said in an interview in 2010.

This story reminds me of a song penned by Bill and Gloria Gaither that I used to sing in church: "It Is Finished." It describes how Jesus conquered sin and death on the cross of Calvary and the war has been won once and for all time.

Courtesy Google.com

The song goes on to say that in many hearts the battle is still raging on battlefields of our own making. Not all prisoners of war have come home.

Not until we surrender our all to Jesus is the war over. Oh, what blessed peace when we finally stop fighting against Him and surrender!

What battle are you still fighting? As we near Holy Week and think about the Cross, let's examine our lives and ask ourselves what we need to lay at the foot of the Cross.

Words to Live By

Once upon a time, a powerful Eastern monarch asked the wisest men in his court to give him a bit of wisdom in one sentence that would lift him up and encourage him when he suffered hardship and would bring him back down to reality when life was good and he felt arrogant.

Courtesy Google.com

The wise men mulled it over for weeks and finally came up with the answer. The king had the sentence engraved in his ring, which he wore everywhere he went--from throne to battlefield, to funerals when he lost loved ones to death, to his treasury when he counted his millions.

Each time the king read the inscription on his ring, curiosity soared among the citizenry. "What could it say?" they murmured among themselves.

Finally, after many years, the king died. Still desiring to discover the truth that had kept their king going all those years through all kinds of joys and sorrows, the citizens removed the ring from his finger and discovered the answer to their question.

Engraved in the gold they read,

"This too shall pass."

Yes, those words certainly give perspective to life's joys and sorrows.

One of my favorite phrases in the Bible, which is repeated frequently throughout the Gospels, is "And it came to pass." Nothing in this life comes to stay because this life is fleeting.

The psalmist wrote,

As for man, his days are like grass;

As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.

For the wind passes over it, and it is gone,

And its place remembers it no more.

But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting

On those who fear Him,

And His righteousness to children's children,

To such as keep His covenants,

And to those who remember His commandments to do them.

Psalm 103:15-18, NKJV

Peter wrote that when the day of the Lord comes, even the heavens will pass away, the very elements themselves will disappear, and the earth and everything on it will be judged (see 2 Peter 3:10). Why then do we work so hard for earthly things that are destined to pass away?

Instead, Peter encourages Christians to "make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in [God's] sight" (v. 14).

During my childhood, I spent my summers with my missionary grandparents in Pelican, Alaska. In a prominent place on their wall hung a plaque which read,

Courtesy Goggle.com

This little poem has guided my life and influenced all of my choices, reminding me to live with eternity's values in view.

"This too shall pass." Yes, in terms of eternity, the things of this earth, both good and bad, are temporary. They will all pass away.

Only what we do for Christ has any lasting value. I want my life to count for eternity. How about you?

God Uses Broken Things

Some years ago, I was laid up for a month with complications from surgery. During that time in my life, I was not only struggling physically, but also emotionally and spiritually. Circumstances had left me feeling broken and useless, ready to be thrown on the garbage heap of life.

Courtesy Google.com

I remembered as a child watching my grandfather mend a broken china cup with Elmer's Glue. It could be used again, but the break lines still showed. It was no longer as beautiful as it once was. That's how I felt.

Flat on my back, unable to go anywhere, I could only attend "Bedside Assembly" on Sunday morning, that being interpreted as "I watched a church service on TV." It was a divine appointment. In his sermon that morning, the TV pastor told a story I'll never forget. It changed my life.

For many centuries, through many dynasties, a village was known for it fragile, expensive porcelain. Especially striking were its urns. High as tables, wide as chairs, they were admired around the world for their strong form and delicate beauty.

Legend has it that when each urn was finished, there was one final step. The artist deliberately broke it and then put it back together with gold filigree. An ordinary urn was thus turned into a priceless work of art.

What seemed finished wasn't until it was broken!

People throw broken things away, but God never uses anything until He first breaks it.

Courtesy www.slideshare.net

Martha Pittlekow describes God's process well in her little poem:

I don't know why, but God uses broken things.

He'll take some worn-out strings and from them make a melody ring.

He'll take a broken life and put it back together again.

God uses broken things. There's nothing He can't mend.

Why does God use only broken vessels? A vessel is only a container--something to be filled. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 4:7, "We have this treasure [of Christ's gospel] in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God, and not of us.:"

God does not want us to be full of ourselves. He wants to fill us with a treasure--His presence, His glory, and His grace. If we are not broken, people will only see us. But when we have been broken, people can see GOD shining through us.

God allowed me to be broken so He could make me into a vessel of honor for His greater use. He took my brokenness and put me back together again--with gold filigree! It still brings tears to my eyes when I think of what the Lord has done in my life.

If you try to glue a piece of Waterford crystal back together, it will never "sing" again.

If you mend a broken china dish, the ugly lines will show.

God doesn't cover up the cracks in our lives. The cracks are still there for all to see, but He fills them with gold filigree and makes us into something even more beautiful. Everyone will exclaim, "Look what the Artist has done!"

As Bill and Gloria Gaither penned and set to music a song that has been a favorite through the years,

Something beautiful! Something good!

All my confusion He understood;

All I had to offer Him was brokenness and strife,

But He made something beautiful of my life.

Have you found this to be true in your life? I'd love to hear about it.

For more stories of how God makes beauty out of the ashes of lives, check out my books at http://annaleeconti.com/books.html. Even my novels are based on true stories of God's transforming power.

Perfect Love

One Sunday morning some years ago, I was sitting in the morning worship service at my church, feeling very afraid. I was going through probably the worst trial of my life, and I didn't know how things would work out. This verse came to my mind:

Courtesy Google.com

Because of my fear, thought, "I must not have perfect love." And guilt sat down beside me too.

That's when a still, small Voice spoke to my heart, "It's not your love that has to be perfect. It's My love that's perfect. Rest in My perfect love."

When I did, I found peace.

The other side of fear is confidence. If we confidently rest in the Father's love, it follows that we will be without fear. Love and fear are incompatible. They cannot coexist.

According to John, if we abide in Christ and have fellowship with the Father (1 John 1:3), endeavor to keep His commandments (2:3), remain separate from the world (2:15-17), abide in the truth (2:24), and love others (4:7-12), then we can have confidence that we will not be condemned in the day of judgment (4:17-18).

"Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love" (1 John 4:18, NLT). If we are afraid, then, it is because we have not fully experienced His perfect love.

When we experience the Father's love for us, that love is so powerful and life-changing that fear is forever removed. Certainly, much in our world today is cause for fear. But no matter what takes place, it cannot separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:38-39).

If we experience fear in any portion of our life, to that extent, we deny God's love and fail to trust Him.

Are you resting in God's perfect love today? Do you trust Him to take care of you, come what may? Remember, God will take care of you.

When the Bridge Fell

It had been raining most of the week in New York State when my friend and I drove across the New York State Thruway bridge spanning the Schoharie Creek near Amsterdam late on a Saturday afternoon on our way back to Long Island.

The placid Schoharie Creek below had swelled to a churning, rushing river. No one knew that the flood waves were undermining the steel and concrete piers that supported the bridge.

The next morning, April 5, 1987, as a lady traveled westbound on the Thruway, her dog became very restless. She stopped to let it exercise along the side of the highway just before crossing the Schoharie Creek Thruway Bridge.

Schoharie Creek Thruway Bridge Collapse Courtesy Google.com

As she got out of the car, she heard a tremendous roar. She turned just in time to witness the bridge collapse into the creek below.

The way the bridge had been situated made it nearly impossible to see that it was gone until it was too late to stop. As traffic approached, the lady stepped out into the roadway and waved frantically, desperately trying to warn the vehicles to stop before they would plunge into the abyss.

To her horror, five drivers ignored her, and their vehicles disappeared into empty space. One even flipped her an obscene gesture as he passed--just moments before he plunged to his death. Ten people lost their lives before anyone heeded her warning.

It reminds me of Hebrews 11:7, which describers how the people of Noah's day derided him for 120 years as he warned of the coming judgment of the Great Flood. Only eight people of that day heeded his warning and were saved.

Today, God's witnesses stand on the highway of life, warning people of God's impending judgment. Many ignore us. Others get angry, mock or ridicule, or even persecute us. But we must not quit warning them.

Ezekiel 33:9 says that if the watchman on the wall doesn't warn the people of impending danger, their blood will be on his hands. If we as Christians don't issue the warning of judgment yet to come on this sinful world, their blood will be on our hands.

Romans 10:14, NLT asks, "How can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless [we tell] them?"

"So what makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation?" says Hebrews 2:3, NLT.

As we enter this season of Lent leading up to the celebration of Holy Week and the Resurrection, let's ask ourselves the question: Are we good watchmen, warning of the dangers to come? Or, are we neglecting this great salvation made possible by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ?

God's Law of Returns

Courtesy versaday.com

When I first read that verse in Ecclesiastes 11:1, I was puzzled. Since I don't even like gravy on bread, that word picture of soggy bread didn't appeal to me.

Then I came across this translation in the New Living Translation: "Send your grain across the seas, and in time, profits will flow back to you." In other words, "Give generously, for your gifts will return to you later."

Now, that makes sense. Here's how it worked out in the lives of two people whose names you will recognize:

The son of a gardener on an estate in Scotland dreamed of becoming a medical doctor. Neither he nor his dad could figure out how such a huge financial undertaking could be met.

Weekend visitors arrived at the castle. One of them, a boy, went swimming in the pool. He developed cramps and was about to drown when the gardener's son leaped into the water and saved him. The father of the swimmer was so overjoyed at the rescue that he offered to reward the rescuer.

"What can I do to help the lad?" he asked the rescuer's father.

The gardener related their dream that the son become a physician. "If you could help him to go to school, that would mean more to my son than anything else in the world."

Upon hearing the request, the swimmer's father said, "That's it! We will see him through his education." And through this generosity, Alexander Fleming became a doctor of medicine.

Years later, the boy who nearly drowned, Winston Churchill, became Prime Minister of England. While on a trip to Egypt, he was stricken with virulent pneumonia. Aides thought he was going to die.

A new drug, however, had just been discovered by Dr. Alexander Fleming--penicillin. Dr. Fleming heard of Mr. Churchill's illness. He flew to Egypt to administer the new medication. The results were miraculous, and Churchill recovered completely.

c AnnaLee Conti 2002

In 1948, my grandparents, Charles and Florence Personeus, pioneer missionaries to Alaska, were asked to build a church in Pelican. The town donated land, but it needed to be cleared. Windfalls twelve trees deep covered the site, and my grandparents had no tools. An old logger they had befriends thirty years earlier supplied them with hand tools for the mammoth task.*


When we planted a new church in Gloversville, New York, in the late seventies, we spent much time over a two-year period ministering to a young couple that was separated when we met. God saved their marriage (see God Saved Our Marriage), and they became faithful workers in the church--until a job-transfer moved them out of state. We knew God was building lives, not just churches, but their move was a great loss to our new church.

That summer, our Fellowship's biennial General Council was being held in St. Louis, Missouri, in August. We really felt the need of going to receive personal encouragement and fellowship, but as pioneer pastors, we had no funds available for such a trip.

Then a letter arrived from the couple that had recently moved away, thanking us for all we had done to help them reestablish their marriage. They enclosed a check and a note telling us to use the money for something special for ourselves. It was the exact amount we needed to go to General Council.

We have learned that we can never outgive God. It may not come back in kind, but God has promised, "Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom," (Luke 6:38, NKJV).

I'd love to hear about a time when God has proven that promise in your life.

*Excerpt from my book, Frontiers of Faith.