New Birth

When you are in the darkest part of the night, it seems like a long time till morning. When you are in the turmoil of that position, hope is far off. I have found a solution that can take you from: The Edge of Your Night, To The Edge of The Camp. The reason I present the story line this way, is because I have a chapter of a book to present at a later time concerning this avenue of hope. But at this time, let me present to you:

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

Not long ago, while attending Writers Institute 1, at Three Hills Alberta, Canada, I was made aware of new birth in a way that I had never previously taken note of. I found it nestled amongst many stages of life forms. I observed this fascinating upstart of life, coming up surrounded by young and old life. It also emerged in the midst of death.

New birth comes in many different ways. Some of it comes through an involvement on our part. Then there is some in which we play no part at all. Even though we may have a role to play in new birth, it is because of the work of God that any fruit is born.

There’s life that grows by the controls of God alone. You take for instance, the changing pattern, of the four seasons of the year: Some things come alive in the springtime, and then they die off in the fall.

The hand of God is at work in the change from springtime to summertime. Seeds, which are planted in the springtime, take the road to maturity in the transition. Other plant life takes years to mature, but it’s God who controls the cycles.

Tennyson called springtime: “The boyhood of the year.” Emerson spoke of spring this way: “Daughter of heaven and earth, coy spring”( timid, flirtatious)

“...the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of the birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell . . . ”

As I write these words, I recall a mural on the wall of one of the lounges at Prairie Bible Institute, Three Hills Alberta. I visualize new birth, in a fashion much like those men just mentioned.

During my contemplation of the beginning of life, I also see that there’s always some form of life, that has not wintered well. As I observed these scenes, I found that death had overtaken some of that which had once been vibrant life. The only entity, that cannot be touched by death, is God.

Set in the midst of this scenic definition of reality, was animal life that could never go unnoticed. I know of no better way to get my attention, than to place an arrangement of deer into the scenes of nature. I found it to be magnificent.

In viewing the deer, I saw in their eyes an expression of expectation. They appeared to be observing something in the distance. Was it just some intruder to their domain, or was it the anticipation of new birth?

Through the eyes of this passage from the Bible, I see that God was purposefully creating a setting in which He would house everything He was about to create.

In the beginning God planted a garden. There were no scenes of death there. The only thing on which you could focus, in His garden, was a vivid picture of vitality. His whole creation was alive. The sting of death had not yet made a mark. All this beauty and perfection, was as of yet untainted. We have not yet seen people make their entrance.

The picture that I saw at PBI. did not contain the presence of man pictorially, but in my viewing, I sensed the presence of this intruder, somewhere off in the distant part of the scene. As I read the early stages of Genesis, I can almost feel the same expectation of someone who is about to make a similar appearance.

The garden of Eden has not yet been subjected to the presence of this earthly creation. It was certain to be an adventure. The plan of God included men and women. As is the case in any adventure, they would be involved in mystery and confrontations. There would be thrills and pitfalls. “The Adventures of Adam and Eve,” were about to begin.

The early chapters of the Bible give us a thorough description of the birth of those who came before us: And they were about to go, “ Where no man had gone before.” You may recall the detail God used in the creation of this first couple. From this beginning, we are about to see new birth in a way that relates to you and me. This young couple was about to have their first child.

We don’t have an elaborate account of the feelings of Adam and Eve on the birth of their first son. He was in fact the first born person on this earth. Adam and Eve had literally been formed by God, like a potter fashions a piece of clay into a beautiful art form. Cain was born in the same way that you and I were born: Except for the fact that most of us were born in a hospital, and he was born just outside of a beautiful garden, “The Garden of Eden.” In my imagination I see them looking up to God and saying, “Father, You’re a Grandpa! It’s a boy!”

The coming to life of a new thing is exciting. In one way or another we can all relate to it. Whether it’s in the sphere of the plant and animal kingdom or in the human realm, new birth is overwhelming. I would consider the birth of a child to be the greatest.

“ Behold the fowls of the air: For they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?” Matt.6:26

My hobby is tropical fish. I really enjoy observing the many different aspects of fish life. The part that excites me the most, is the time when they are preparing to have babies. They are vigilant in their task of securing a safe place to house their young fry. It is easily seen that they have a tremendous excitement during the time of preparation to bring their new birth into their surroundings.

All of us who have had children can relate to these feelings. In the context of a happy marriage, there is usually a really genuine joy during this time period. The anticipation of this event is exciting. When the time draws near, and the children are born, the time of anticipation is over. The little bundles of joy have arrived, and now the parents do not have to wonder about the arrival anymore.

Over a period of many adjustments in character, and a great deal of love, those little bundles grow up and also form homes, through a relationship of love. In a little while they also receive a little package of joy. They may look up to their heavenly Father and give thanks for this blessing: But they call their earthly parents in the middle of the night and say, “You’re a Grandma, You’re a Grandpa! It’s a girl! Or, It’s a boy! Or, It’s a Boy and a Girl!”

The sleepy eyes soon come to life when the feelings of excitement rise up. There is cause to rejoice every time this happens. I see the handiwork of God every time that a child is born.

What is it that makes the beginning of life such an adventure? Is it simply the origin of something that causes our heart chords to throb? Or does it involve the vast potential that lies ahead? No matter what the questions may be, we have embarked on a journey that will surely cause our emotions to rise and fall, as each wave of life rises and then comes crashing down against another. If it’s adventure, that you crave, fasten your seat belts. We’re going into a time warp.

We have just zeroed in on another period of new birth. We’ve just traveled through the chronological table in the book of Matthew. The Captain of the ship calls out on the speaker phone, “Bethlehem, Judah. Next stop.”

By looking at this statement in Matthew, I immediately get the impression that I am asked to accept something by faith. It states that the birth of Jesus was on this wise. Because history was recorded, we are able to go back some two thousand years, to Bethlehem, And there we find out the facts about this birth.

The writers of the New Testament indicate to us that Jesus Christ, the son of God, came in human form: Just the same as we did. He did in actual fact come as we did, born as a fleshly human being: But there are some distinctions to be made concerning the manner in which He was conceived.

The conception of the Christ child was not of natural process. The implantation of the required seed to bring about the birth of Jesus, was accomplished in totality, by miraculous means. The Holy Ghost brought about the condition of pregnancy in the womb of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. It was never, no not ever, a physical act between a man and a woman, that brought about the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Amongst some religions this is not believed to be the case. Instead of believing it by faith, many of them have tried to rationalize it for themselves: As a result, we hear that God had sexual relations with Mary to bring Jesus into the world. I for one believe that Christ*s birth was exactly as the Bible says it was.

Artificial insemination is a matter of public knowledge. We can clone sheep, and probably a whole lot of other species as well. The cloning process of a human life, can be figured out in a laboratory. At one time artificial insemination was primarily used in the propagation of cattle. Today we have sperm banks for people who either can’t, or don’t want to go through the natural process to have children.

Now, if mankind has the capability of performing these medical feats, I consider it safe to assume that God could accomplish this by miraculous methods. I’ve included this, to show that the possibility of supernatural birth should not be that unthinkable. If we can believe all that man can do in this technological age, why is it so hard to believe that God is, and that He can do anything.

Jesus Christ is divine. I base this statement on the interpretation of the word Emmanuel.To set the stage for the birth of Jesus, we need to travel back to the book of Micah.

“But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel, whose going forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” Micah 5:2

This same frame or thought was echoed by Isaiah. He puts Christ on a pedestal. Isaiah calls Him “Wonderful.”

“Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, Which being interpreted is, God with us.” Matthew 1:23

The gospel of Luke tells us that the angel Gabriel was sent by God, to the city of Nazareth, in Galilee. This gives me a vivid focus of God coming to this earth, to have a personal rendezvous with his creation. He did not simply plunk Himself down on this earth and say, “Here I am.”

I see God at work on a process. He had specific people in mind through which to make His entrance. Mary and Joseph were to be the couple to which God would make Himself known. Mary was given insight about this special event before Joseph. You*ve got to realize that they were only engaged at this time.

If you read on with me, you will see that Mary was troubled about the words of the angel. This type of an appearance could cause one to doubt the reality of what they saw. The fears that Mary had, did not go unnoticed by Gabriel. Once more the salutation was, “ . . . for thou hast found favor with God.” Luke 1:30

First off we see how God prepared Mary. Then came the nuclear blast. Mary, “You are going to have a son, and you are to call His name Jesus. He shall be called the Son of the Highest.”

Mary knew that she had not been physically involved with her fiancee. So, this whole matter was a bit of a puzzle to her. I know that we ought not to question God, but she said to the angel, “Are you sure about all of this?” Luke 1:34

“...The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” Luke 1:35

There were no subtle planning sessions at this stage of the journey, to ask Mary if she would consider the possibility of having a child, without the aide of a marriage relationship to back her up. You see, God already knew that she would be willing: Before He planned it. He called her highly favored. That is not the conclusion you hear about those not interested in following God.

As a message of encouragement, Mary was told that her well-aged cousin Elizabeth, was also going to have a child. “For with God nothing shall be impossible.” Luke 1:37

Joseph had a similar experience to that of his future wife Mary, to prepare him for the event that would affect his life in an unbelievable fashion. Think of it for a moment: These people who had high moral values, were suddenly asked to believe the impossible. Not only the impossible, but it would make them look guilty of sin.

Concerning the matter of impossibilities, I am reminded of a popular television program of days gone by. Many of you may recall it. It was called, “The Millionaire.”

There was a certain man who was authorized to present a certified check for a million dollars, to selected people. Well, the reaction was in most cases pleasant. But, initially it was one of disbelief. I*m not sure that anything like this ever really happened, but miraculous things do happen to real people from time to time.

In a manner similarly represented, this is what happened to Mary and Joseph. It certainly was out of the ordinary, but God uses ordinary people who are willing to be used. How would you like to be classified as someone willing to be used? Most of us rise up in a spirit of indignation at the thought of being used. If someone pulled a scam on us, and we felt we had been used, we would in all likelihood have some indignant words to express.

“He that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6

People have always found it easier to believe, if they have had the evidence right before their eyes, it is easier to put into proper perspective that way.

Many times God asks us to accept something by faith, not on the basis of our being able to figure it out to the last detail. When the Bible says that the birth of Jesus was God coming down to us in a human body, then that is what we need to believe.

We know that each year in the springtime, new life will emerge from the ground. We have no reason to think this will not continue, as long as life goes on upon this earth.

The birth of Christ was for us. It was the most precious gift ever presented to mankind. When Jesus came, it was new birth. He had never been born before. He chose to come in this manner to show us we needed to be born another time.

He did not come just to show us new birth. He also came to show us a way of living in which we could grow to maturity.

In this book I will earnestly endeavor to show the growing patterns in the Christian walk. My goal is not only to see people brought into the family of God: Although that is paramount. But if a child in the natural world is only born, and never eats food, or drinks anything, it will die. I consider this to be rational thinking.

So as we move on, be prepared to understand that there are growing pains, But they do not stop growth. Growing pains are not necessarily comfortable, but they are impossible to do without. We have no choice in the matter.

If God had just created the world and left us to take care of ourselves; What would have happened? How long would mankind have survived without the love of God? We see the love of God everywhere in the passages of scripture.

The greatest possible expression of God’s love, was the coming of Jesus Christ to this earth. For the human race, this demonstration of love, provided the hope that would otherwise have been non existent.


	\| New Birth \| Riches To Rags! \| Seekers \| Home Perks Army New Birth The Edge of Your Night When you are in the darkest part of the night, it seems like a long time till morning. When you are in the turmoil of that position, hope is far off. I have found a solution that can take you from: The Edge of Your Night, To The Edge of The Camp. The reason I present the story line this way, is because I have a chapter of a book to present at a later time concerning this avenue of hope. But at this time, let me present to you: Looking For The Way, The Truth, and The Life. by Jacob Bergen Chapter 1 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Hebrews 12:2-3 ....... Not long ago, while attending Writers Institute 1, at Three Hills Alberta, Canada, I was made aware of new birth in a way that I had never previously taken note of. I found it nestled amongst many stages of life forms. I observed this fascinating upstart of life, coming up surrounded by young and old life. It also emerged in the midst of death. New birth comes in many different ways. Some of it comes through an involvement on our part. Then there is some in which we play no part at all. Even though we may have a role to play in new birth, it is because of the work of God that any fruit is born. There’s life that grows by the controls of God alone. You take for instance, the changing pattern, of the four seasons of the year: Some things come alive in the springtime, and then they die off in the fall. The hand of God is at work in the change from springtime to summertime. Seeds, which are planted in the springtime, take the road to maturity in the transition. Other plant life takes years to mature, but it’s God who controls the cycles. Tennyson called springtime: “The boyhood of the year.” Emerson spoke of spring this way: “Daughter of heaven and earth, coy spring”( timid, flirtatious) In the Bible we find springtime described equally as picturesquely. “...the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of the birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell . . . ” Song of Solomon 2:11-13 It excites me when I read these descriptive portrayals of springtime. As I write these words, I recall a mural on the wall of one of the lounges at Prairie Bible Institute, Three Hills Alberta. I visualize new birth, in a fashion much like those men just mentioned. During my contemplation of the beginning of life, I also see that there’s always some form of life, that has not wintered well. As I observed these scenes, I found that death had overtaken some of that which had once been vibrant life. The only entity, that cannot be touched by death, is God. Set in the midst of this scenic definition of reality, was animal life that could never go unnoticed. I know of no better way to get my attention, than to place an arrangement of deer into the scenes of nature. I found it to be magnificent. In viewing the deer, I saw in their eyes an expression of expectation. They appeared to be observing something in the distance. Was it just some intruder to their domain, or was it the anticipation of new birth? In life, and in death, we can see the plan of God. In Genesis the first chapter we read, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” Genesis 1:1 Through the eyes of this passage from the Bible, I see that God was purposefully creating a setting in which He would house everything He was about to create. In the beginning God planted a garden. There were no scenes of death there. The only thing on which you could focus, in His garden, was a vivid picture of vitality. His whole creation was alive. The sting of death had not yet made a mark. All this beauty and perfection, was as of yet untainted. We have not yet seen people make their entrance. The picture that I saw at PBI. did not contain the presence of man pictorially, but in my viewing, I sensed the presence of this intruder, somewhere off in the distant part of the scene. As I read the early stages of Genesis, I can almost feel the same expectation of someone who is about to make a similar appearance. The garden of Eden has not yet been subjected to the presence of this earthly creation. It was certain to be an adventure. The plan of God included men and women. As is the case in any adventure, they would be involved in mystery and confrontations. There would be thrills and pitfalls. “The Adventures of Adam and Eve,” were about to begin. The early chapters of the Bible give us a thorough description of the birth of those who came before us: And they were about to go, “ Where no man had gone before.” You may recall the detail God used in the creation of this first couple. From this beginning, we are about to see new birth in a way that relates to you and me. This young couple was about to have their first child. We don’t have an elaborate account of the feelings of Adam and Eve on the birth of their first son. He was in fact the first born person on this earth. Adam and Eve had literally been formed by God, like a potter fashions a piece of clay into a beautiful art form. Cain was born in the same way that you and I were born: Except for the fact that most of us were born in a hospital, and he was born just outside of a beautiful garden, “The Garden of Eden.” In my imagination I see them looking up to God and saying, “Father, You’re a Grandpa! It’s a boy!” The coming to life of a new thing is exciting. In one way or another we can all relate to it. Whether it’s in the sphere of the plant and animal kingdom or in the human realm, new birth is overwhelming. I would consider the birth of a child to be the greatest. “ Behold the fowls of the air: For they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?” Matt.6:26 My hobby is tropical fish. I really enjoy observing the many different aspects of fish life. The part that excites me the most, is the time when they are preparing to have babies. They are vigilant in their task of securing a safe place to house their young fry. It is easily seen that they have a tremendous excitement during the time of preparation to bring their new birth into their surroundings. All of us who have had children can relate to these feelings. In the context of a happy marriage, there is usually a really genuine joy during this time period. The anticipation of this event is exciting. When the time draws near, and the children are born, the time of anticipation is over. The little bundles of joy have arrived, and now the parents do not have to wonder about the arrival anymore. Over a period of many adjustments in character, and a great deal of love, those little bundles grow up and also form homes, through a relationship of love. In a little while they also receive a little package of joy. They may look up to their heavenly Father and give thanks for this blessing: But they call their earthly parents in the middle of the night and say, “You’re a Grandma, You’re a Grandpa! It’s a girl! Or, It’s a boy! Or, It’s a Boy and a Girl!” The sleepy eyes soon come to life when the feelings of excitement rise up. There is cause to rejoice every time this happens. I see the handiwork of God every time that a child is born. What is it that makes the beginning of life such an adventure? Is it simply the origin of something that causes our heart chords to throb? Or does it involve the vast potential that lies ahead? No matter what the questions may be, we have embarked on a journey that will surely cause our emotions to rise and fall, as each wave of life rises and then comes crashing down against another. If it’s adventure, that you crave, fasten your seat belts. We’re going into a time warp. “Now the birth of Jesus was on this wise.” Matthew 1:18 We have just zeroed in on another period of new birth. We’ve just traveled through the chronological table in the book of Matthew. The Captain of the ship calls out on the speaker phone, “Bethlehem, Judah. Next stop.” By looking at this statement in Matthew, I immediately get the impression that I am asked to accept something by faith. It states that the birth of Jesus was on this wise. Because history was recorded, we are able to go back some two thousand years, to Bethlehem, And there we find out the facts about this birth. The writers of the New Testament indicate to us that Jesus Christ, the son of God, came in human form: Just the same as we did. He did in actual fact come as we did, born as a fleshly human being: But there are some distinctions to be made concerning the manner in which He was conceived. The conception of the Christ child was not of natural process. The implantation of the required seed to bring about the birth of Jesus, was accomplished in totality, by miraculous means. The Holy Ghost brought about the condition of pregnancy in the womb of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. It was never, no not ever, a physical act between a man and a woman, that brought about the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amongst some religions this is not believed to be the case. Instead of believing it by faith, many of them have tried to rationalize it for themselves: As a result, we hear that God had sexual relations with Mary to bring Jesus into the world. I for one believe that Christ*s birth was exactly as the Bible says it was. Artificial insemination is a matter of public knowledge. We can clone sheep, and probably a whole lot of other species as well. The cloning process of a human life, can be figured out in a laboratory. At one time artificial insemination was primarily used in the propagation of cattle. Today we have sperm banks for people who either can’t, or don’t want to go through the natural process to have children. Now, if mankind has the capability of performing these medical feats, I consider it safe to assume that God could accomplish this by miraculous methods. I’ve included this, to show that the possibility of supernatural birth should not be that unthinkable. If we can believe all that man can do in this technological age, why is it so hard to believe that God is, and that He can do anything. Jesus Christ is divine. I base this statement on the interpretation of the word Emmanuel.To set the stage for the birth of Jesus, we need to travel back to the book of Micah. “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel, whose going forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” Micah 5:2 This same frame or thought was echoed by Isaiah. He puts Christ on a pedestal. Isaiah calls Him “Wonderful.” The prophecy of Isaiah is shown to us in Matthew 1:23: “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, Which being interpreted is, God with us.” Matthew 1:23 Capture the event in your mind. Turn on your mental VCR. The gospel of Luke tells us that the angel Gabriel was sent by God, to the city of Nazareth, in Galilee. This gives me a vivid focus of God coming to this earth, to have a personal rendezvous with his creation. He did not simply plunk Himself down on this earth and say, “Here I am.” I see God at work on a process. He had specific people in mind through which to make His entrance. Mary and Joseph were to be the couple to which God would make Himself known. Mary was given insight about this special event before Joseph. You*ve got to realize that they were only engaged at this time. Listen to the startling appearance of the angel. “Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.” Luke 1:28 If you read on with me, you will see that Mary was troubled about the words of the angel. This type of an appearance could cause one to doubt the reality of what they saw. The fears that Mary had, did not go unnoticed by Gabriel. Once more the salutation was, “ . . . for thou hast found favor with God.” Luke 1:30 First off we see how God prepared Mary. Then came the nuclear blast. Mary, “You are going to have a son, and you are to call His name Jesus. He shall be called the Son of the Highest.” Mary knew that she had not been physically involved with her fiancee. So, this whole matter was a bit of a puzzle to her. I know that we ought not to question God, but she said to the angel, “Are you sure about all of this?” Luke 1:34 There was no doubt that the angel Gabriel had the message right. He got the word right from the top. “...The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” Luke 1:35 There were no subtle planning sessions at this stage of the journey, to ask Mary if she would consider the possibility of having a child, without the aide of a marriage relationship to back her up. You see, God already knew that she would be willing: Before He planned it. He called her highly favored. That is not the conclusion you hear about those not interested in following God. As a message of encouragement, Mary was told that her well-aged cousin Elizabeth, was also going to have a child. “For with God nothing shall be impossible.” Luke 1:37 Joseph had a similar experience to that of his future wife Mary, to prepare him for the event that would affect his life in an unbelievable fashion. Think of it for a moment: These people who had high moral values, were suddenly asked to believe the impossible. Not only the impossible, but it would make them look guilty of sin. Concerning the matter of impossibilities, I am reminded of a popular television program of days gone by. Many of you may recall it. It was called, “The Millionaire.” There was a certain man who was authorized to present a certified check for a million dollars, to selected people. Well, the reaction was in most cases pleasant. But, initially it was one of disbelief. I*m not sure that anything like this ever really happened, but miraculous things do happen to real people from time to time. In a manner similarly represented, this is what happened to Mary and Joseph. It certainly was out of the ordinary, but God uses ordinary people who are willing to be used. How would you like to be classified as someone willing to be used? Most of us rise up in a spirit of indignation at the thought of being used. If someone pulled a scam on us, and we felt we had been used, we would in all likelihood have some indignant words to express. When we look at this story on the basis of faith, we can see that we can believe what God says. “He that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6 People have always found it easier to believe, if they have had the evidence right before their eyes, it is easier to put into proper perspective that way. Many times God asks us to accept something by faith, not on the basis of our being able to figure it out to the last detail. When the Bible says that the birth of Jesus was God coming down to us in a human body, then that is what we need to believe. We know that each year in the springtime, new life will emerge from the ground. We have no reason to think this will not continue, as long as life goes on upon this earth. The birth of Christ was for us. It was the most precious gift ever presented to mankind. When Jesus came, it was new birth. He had never been born before. He chose to come in this manner to show us we needed to be born another time. He did not come just to show us new birth. He also came to show us a way of living in which we could grow to maturity. In this book I will earnestly endeavor to show the growing patterns in the Christian walk. My goal is not only to see people brought into the family of God: Although that is paramount. But if a child in the natural world is only born, and never eats food, or drinks anything, it will die. I consider this to be rational thinking. So as we move on, be prepared to understand that there are growing pains, But they do not stop growth. Growing pains are not necessarily comfortable, but they are impossible to do without. We have no choice in the matter. Please come along with me. There are many more good things prepared for you. ............... Food For Thought. If God had just created the world and left us to take care of ourselves; What would have happened? How long would mankind have survived without the love of God? We see the love of God everywhere in the passages of scripture. The greatest possible expression of God’s love, was the coming of Jesus Christ to this earth. For the human race, this demonstration of love, provided the hope that would otherwise have been non existent. Jesus is our eternal hope. Jesus is our only hope.