Cornerstone

Mark 5:15-20

Each of us is unique. She was no exception. She was excited about what was going on in the church. I loved to hear her pray in her simple way. Her testimonies were always vibrant and very practical in nature.

Her little travel trailer home was a regular stop during my visitation routine. The accommodations were simple. She owned few earthly possessions. During these visits I thrilled to hear this older lady tell me of the many hours she prayed in her little trailer. When she wasn’t praying, it appeared that she was reading her Bible.

It was on one of my first visits that she told me of the marvelous change that took place in her life. When she and her husband got a divorce, her lover moved into her home. She had been a lesbian at this time. After many years of living in this sinful arrangement, she found Jesus as her personal Savior. He forgave and delivered her from this life of debauchery.

She had been living victoriously for Jesus, but was now intensely interested in what I had been preaching. She wanted to know more about holiness of heart. So, sitting across the kitchen table from this hungry soul I showed her from the Bible that God not only died on the cross to forgive people for their sinfulness but also that believers could be cleansed from the nature of sin. Soon we stopped our study so that she could seek the blessing. She received the cleansing fullness, and the marvelous change continued to take place in her life as she followed carefully in the footsteps of Jesus.

Dr. Gayle Woods

Eph 2:(18)-22

Have you ever noticed the elastic nature of love? My wife and I were happily married for five years before David was born. I thought my heart would burst with love. I guess that proud pain I was feeling was the stretching of my love to include another member in the family. But it happened again. Jonathan was born eighteen months later. I felt that wonderful pain of love stretching. Five years later when Ben was born I thought I could not bear the joy. . . the overwhelming since of love. I felt the pain of love stretching even more. Surely that would be it. But my love was to stretch even more, for when Jonathan married Becky I once again felt the pain of my love stretching. And it is still happening! Joshua was born the day before Christmas in 2001 and then Emily brought us more joy when she was born in October 2003. (Would you like to see my pictures?) Our love has stretched to include more people into our family. In so doing those members have actually been woven into the fabric of mutual love. We are one. It is no wonder that Jesus used the family to express the concept of what happens when we are born of God. He says we are “grafted into the vine.” He says we are “sons.” I believe He experiences the same joyful pain of the love stretch every time someone calls on Him asking that He pardon them for their sinfulness.

Dr. Gayle Woods