LOOK MOM, NO HANDLES! 8/18/13

WHEN I was a girl and first learned to ride a bicycle I was pretty pleased with myself. Even though I learned on a boys bike, which meant I had to start running along side the bike, putting my left foot on the peddle and swinging my right leg over the back to the other side and put my right foot on that peddle, it was an achievement! No easy task for a little short girl! Most boys took to riding the bicycle with ease and it wasn’t long before they were yelling out; “look Mom, no hands!”


WHEN I think about ‘no hands’ I become more than thankful to God for my two hands, because some have lost their hands and some have even been born without their hands. To learn to ride a bike and to set back on the seat, with your arms folded across your chest only proves that you have balance and can guide your bike with your mind and body. Albeit, an achievement!

WHEN we placed our trust in Jesus Christ as our Savior, we have learned that our hands, our mind and body plays a big part in our new way of life. Satan jumps up and down with anger when a soul is saved. He doesn’t care who the soul belongs too, he just wants to own it! With Jesus He cares about the individual and their soul. Such a big difference! Especially when we decide to give our lives to one or the other.

WITH Satan we carry handles. Remember the story of Rahab? Even though she is in the lineage of Jesus, she has a handle! She has gone down in history being called Rahab, the Harlot! “By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given friendly welcome to the spies.” Hebrew 11:31 As I looked in my concordance for Rahab, she wasn’t there, but when I look under harlot; there she was! “And in the same way was not also Rahab the harlot justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?”  James 2:25 In the Old Testament sins were not forgiven as we understand forgiveness in the New Testament. Jesus has made the difference!

HANDLES are our sins that others can get a hold of, and bring us down further than our sin.   As Christians we know that God has forgiven our sins from our past, and that He will continue to forgive our sin as we confess them and will remember them no more! But our family and friends never forget and have attached handles to our names. Perhaps you were caught in a lie; they will always remember that you were a liar! Maybe you stole something and so you become Johnny the thief in the minds of many.

STORIES are handed down of things that we have done before we became a Christian, but most Christians know that we are now forgiven. We learn to look beyond each others faults because God does! However, the world is not as circumspect! When a congregation is looking for elders they search the scriptures and read; “ For an elder, as God’s steward, must be blameless, he must not be arrogant, or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of goodness, master of himself, upright, holy and self-controlled, he must hold firm to the sure word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to confute those who contradict it.” Titus 1:7-9

I AM INCLINED to look at the requirements for an Elder and say that they should apply to all Christians. A teacher should fall under the same scrutiny, as should deacon’s! God gave us the Holy Spirit who gave us the Fruit of His Spirit. “Love, Joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23

WHEN we continue to develop the fruit within us, we should be able to look around ourselves and proclaim for all to hear; “look Mom, no handles!” Better still, we should be anxious to hear our Father say; “My child, you have no handles!” By Jane Ann Crenshaw 8/17/13