God's Regeneration

Newsletters Sent and Contests Relaunched

Fri, 24 Sep 2010 14:56:00 +0000

Hello Everybody,

We have sent out our weekly newsletter! If you read this newsletter you will find out that we are starting the contests back up this week and we are giving away prizes! So be sure to check out the contests.

If you did not get the newsletter please go to the support portal and contactus and we would be glad to assist you.

God Bless!

Security Update - 9/7/10

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 22:36:00 +0000

Hello Everyone,

Today we are please to announce a security update to the forums. If you haven't noticed alreadt you have to be signed in now in order to view any topics or post on the forum. Before you could view some topics without being signed in and we thought that could be a security/privacy problem to our users. Therefore we have taken action becasue your security/privacy is very important to us. We hope you enjoy this update.

God Bless,

The God's Regeneration Team

Subscribe to Us and be Updated ALL the time!

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 21:39:00 +0000

We are proud to let you know we have made it easier for you to be updated about everything on the blog without having to actually be at the blog! If you think it is confusing it isn't! There are three ways currently.

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We hope these resources will help you stay up-to-date. God Bless!

No newsletters in a while?

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 19:21:00 +0000

Hello,

We are currently experiencing problems sending our newsletters out. However we do have them already to be sent so once you receive them you will know the problem has been fixed. Again we are very sorry and hope to have this problem fixed within the next few hours.

If you have any questions or concerns please Contact us.

Contests Winners Announced! (7/26/10 - 8/1/10)

Tue, 03 Aug 2010 16:11:00 +0000

Wow! Did we have some amazing entries for this weeks contests!

Our first contest for this week was the Weekly Discussion.

Everyday many people face persecution. The Bible says that we will be persecuted for serving the Lord. It could be right now or 20 years from now. The question is are you ready? What are some things you can do to prepare your heart, mind, and soul for when persecution does strike?

We had some great reponses to this question. However we had to pick only one and here is the one we picked from Matt!

I must say that I am far from ready, and for preparing, I believe that we can read the Bible every day, pray and have intimate fellowship with the Lord, plus always stay ready for the rapture. These are end times that we are living in, and God said that we do not know the day or the hour at which the rapture might come, so if persecution does strike pray for people it happens to and also pray that (if it happens to you) God would help you through. The Bible also that "All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called acording to His purpose." (help me out on the reference please [mind go blank]). Also, temptation can be persecution so, God also says that no temptation is not to strong for you to handle; in other words, God will never let anything happen to you that you cannot bear. So, if (or when) persecution strikes, just stay faithful to God, and He will see you through.

So congratulations Matt!

Now for our second contest: Photo of the Week we chose a very strong topic! Here was this weeks topic.

The Bible says in Philippians 4:13 that "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Upload your pictures that show signs of strength.

The God's Regeneration community voted and here is the winner they chose: Matt's Strong Ants in Proportion!

Congratulations Matt on winning both of last Weeks Contests! Stay tuned today for the announcement for this weeks new contests!

A Survey For You!

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 17:44:00 +0000

Hello Again,

Do you want to help God's Regeneration be better? Well here is your chance. We are conducting a survey to see what you think about our site. This survey will help us see what you like/dislike and some things that could use some improvement.

If you would like to participate in this survey please click here.

We greatly appreciate it.

God Bless!

Welcome to the Blog - Again

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 16:54:00 +0000

Hello all God's Regeneration members!

We would like to welcome you to the blog - again. The reason why we say again is because this blog used to be a place for members to post things, but now that is what the forums are for. So we have reconstructed the way we are going to use the blog. This blog will now be for the staff to communicate with you! The staff will post updates on the site and any news! We will also post the info for the contests! And lastly, but no least we might pop in some times an just talk!

We hope you enjoy the new blog and be sure to check back often or subscribe via email.

You can also follow us on Google Buzz. Just follow @entangleministries

We hope you have a blessed day!

The God's Regeneration Team!

Some Design Issues: Fixed

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:22:00 +0000

Hello everyone,

We are very sorry about some of the display issues you may have been experiencing on God's Regeneration. We have found the problems and it has been fixed. We would like to thank our designer Craig Snedeker for helping us identify the problem. We again are really sorry. We hope you experience on the site improves due to the updates!

God Bless!

P.S. You can subscribe to these updates via email so you will be up-to-dat. Just click here.

God's Regeneration Team

Memorial Day Remembrance

Mon, 31 May 2010 04:00:00 +0000

We do not claim any rights to this. We recievied this in an email and thought we should share this with you.

Are we impressing upon our children and grandchildren the significance of our fragile freedom, the continuing sacrifice it takes to protect it and our privilege to give thanks TO and FOR those who serve(d)

A collection of new and old items to challenge our thoughts and plans for next weekend.

Thanks to our men and women in the military, we have the FREEDOM to do so!

To all of those in the Military and their families, Thank you!!!!

MEMORIAL DAY

Keep it

moving, please, even if you've seen it before.

It is the

VETERAN,

not the preacher,

who has given us freedom of religion.

It is

the VETERAN,

not the reporter,

who has given us freedom of the press.

It is

the VETERAN,

not the poet,

who has given us freedom of speech.

It is

the VETERAN,

not the campus organizer,

who has given us freedom to assemble.

It is

the VETERAN,

not the lawyer,

who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is

the VETERAN,

not the politician,

Who has given us the right to vote.

It is the

VETERAN who

salutes the Flag,

It is

the

VETERAN

who serves

under the Flag,

ETERNAL

REST GRANT THEM O LORD, AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON

THEM.

We can be very

proud of our young men and women in the service no matter where they serve.

God

Bless them all!!!

What is worship...

Thu, 06 May 2010 04:35:00 +0000

Worship. What is your idea of worship? Does it involve raising your hands? Does it involve closing your eyes during a song? Does it involve jumping up and down? What is worship? Tonight, I wonder about this. In youth group at my church, we always are emphasizing the need to REALLY worship God. One of the things they say is to not be afraid to raise your hands during a song. Does that mean that if you don't raise your hands you are not worshipping? NO! But, raising the hands is an outward sign of submission and need for our Heavenly Father.

In Psalm 149:1 it says, "PRAISE the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, and His praise in the assembly of saints." Notice it says to SING. In other verses it says to just make a joyful SOUND. That does not infer that it sounds good, it just means that we are joyfully worshiping our God. That leads us back to the first question....... what is worship? I believe that worship is the giving of utmost praise to the God who deserves even more than that. It is us surrendering our lives and wills to His service, and allowing Him to work through us. He deserves it, so let's give it to Him.

1 John 4:19 "We love Him because He first loved us"

St. Valentine: His Greatest Love Was For Christ

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 21:44:00 +0000

To be young, wealthy, and in love- all in the third century. And to be a Christian. Such was young Valentine. He would consummate his great love for her by taking her as his bride. Soon he would be wed.

But his pleasurable, orderly world came crashing down around him when the Roman emperor declared all Christians illegal citizens guilty of treason. All the had to do was say, "Caesar is Lord!" But all they'd say was "No, Jesus is Lord!" Rather than deny Christ, young Valentine was arrested in the crackdown. In jail, awaiting execution in the arena, he wrote love letters to his girlfriend assuring her of his great love for her. But theirs would be a love not lived out. Arms never entwined in the embrace of husband and wife. On February 14, 269 A.D., young Valentine was put to death, martyred for Jesus Christ.

Since then,Christians have celebrated his fidelity to Christ and romantic love on the 14th of February by sending our own love letters to special people. And as we do so this year, let us, too, resolve to live for Christ unashamedly.

Let us recall that still in our lives, as with young Valentine, there will be unfairness, unfulfilled longings, loneliness, and yet, love. Love more powerful than a tyrant's sword, more lasting than the centuries.

For in Christ and in heaven we shall love God and one another for all eternity. And nothing can stop us.

- Stephen Crotts

Hep For Haiti

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 19:43:00 +0000

If you didn't see this on TV or read it in the news, a major earthquake hit Haiti a while ago. Millions of people have died or have been hurt! But a lot of organizations are helping out. Red Cross, Hands & Feet Project, Doctors without Borders, and many other groups are down there helping. If you have any money you wanna donate to the cause, click links below to go to sites where you can donate money.

The FBI is cautioning Americans who want to donate to Haiti relief funds to be careful. If past tragedies are any indication, not all of them are legitimate.

Thanks for taking the time to read this =)

Derived from Snedeker Designz.

"The Tablecloth"

Sun, 03 Jan 2010 22:44:00 +0000

Beautiful story... makes you understand that things happen for a reason

The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned

to their first ministry, to reopen a church

in suburban Brooklyn , arrived in early October

excited about their opportunities. When they saw

their church, it was very run down and needed

much work. They set a goal to have everything

done in time to have their first service

on Christmas Eve.

They worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls,

painting, etc, and on December 18

were ahead of schedule and just about finished.

On December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving

rainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days.

On the 21st, the pastor went over to the church.

His heart sank when he saw that the roof had

leaked, causing a large area of plaster about

20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall

of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit,

beginning about head high.

The pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor,

and not knowing what else to do but postpone

the Christmas Eve service, headed home.

On the way he noticed that a local business was

having a flea market type sale for charity, so he

stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful,

handmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth

with exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross

embroidered right in the center. It was just

the right size to cover the hole in the front

wall. He bought it and headed back to the church.

B y this time it had started to snow. An older

woman running from the opposite direction was

trying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor

invited her to wait in the warm church for

the next bus 45 minutes later..

She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor

while he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put

up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor

could hardly believe how beautiful it looked and

it covered up the entire problem area.

Then he noticed the woman walking down the center

aisle. Her face was like a sheet. "Pastor,"

she asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?"

The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check

the lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into

it there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had

made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria .

The woman could hardly believe it as the pastor

told how he had just gotten "The Tablecloth". The

woman explained that before the war she and

her husband were well-to-do people in Austria .

When the Nazis came, she was forced to leave.

Her husband was going to follow her the next week.

He was captured, sent to prison and never saw her

husband or her home again.

The pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth;

but she made the pastor keep it for the church.

The pastor insisted on driving her home. That

was the least he could do. She lived on the other

side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn

for the day for a housecleaning job.

What a wonderful service they had on Christmas

Eve. The church was almost full. The music and the

spirit were great. At the end of the service, the

pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door

and many said that they would return.

One older man, whom the pastor recognized

from the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the

pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he

wasn't leaving.

The man asked him where he got the tablecloth on

the front wall because it was identical to one

that his wife had made years ago when

they lived in Austria before the war and how

could there be two tablecloths so much alike?

He told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he

forced his wife to flee for her safety and he was

supposed to follow her, but he was arrested and

put in a prison. He never saw his wife or his home

again all the 35 years between.

The pastor asked him if he would allow him to

take him for a little ride.. They drove to Staten

Island and to the same house where the pastor

had taken the woman three days earlier..

He helped the man climb the three flights of

stairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on

the door and he saw the greatest Christmas

reunion he could ever imagine.

True Story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid

who says God does work in mysterious ways.

I asked the Lord to bless you as I prayed for

you today, to guide you and protect you as you go

along your way. His love is always with you. His

promises are true, and when we give Him all our

cares we know He will see us through.

What and Awesome and Orderly God

Sun, 03 Jan 2010 22:43:00 +0000

What an awesome and orderly GOD!! God's order may be observed in the hatching of eggs.

For example:

-the eggs of the potato bug hatch in 7 days;

-those of the canary in 14 days;

-those of the barnyard hen in 21 days;

-The eggs of ducks and geese hatch in 28 days;

-those of the mallard in 35 days;

-The eggs of the parrot and the ostrich hatch in 42 days.

(Notice, they are all divisible by seven, the number of days in a week!)

God'swisdom is seen in the making of an elephant.. The four legs of thisgreat beast all bend forward in the samedirection. No other quadrupedis so made. God ordered that thisanimal would have a huge body, andfor this reason He gave it four fulcrums so that it can rise from theground easily.

Thehorse rises from the groundon its two front legs first. A cow risesfrom the ground with its twohind legs first. How wise the Lord is inall His works of creation!

God'swisdom is revealed in Hisarrangement of fruit, vegetable, and grainseed sections and segments,as well as in the number of seeds/grains.

-Each watermelon has an even number of stripes on the rind.

-Each orange has an even number of segments.

-Each ear of corn has an even number of rows.

-Each stalk of wheat has an even number of grains.

-Everybunchof bananas has on its lowest row an even number of bananas, andeach rowdecreases by one, so that one row has an even number and thenext row anodd number.

-The waves of the sea roll in on shore twenty-six to the minute in all kinds of weather.

Allgrains are found in even numbers on the stalks, and the Lord specifiedthirty fold, sixty fold, and a hundredfold - all even

numbers.

Godhascaused the flowers to blossom at certain specified times during theday,so that Linnaeus, the great botanist, once said that if he hadaconservatory containing the right kind of soil, moistureandtemperature, he could tell the time of day or night by the flowersthat were open and those that were closed!

Thusthe Lord in His wonderful grace can arrange the life that isentrustedto His care in such a way that it will carry out His purposesandplans, and will be fragrant with His presence. Only theGod-plannedsafe life is successful. Only the life

given over to the care of the Lord is fulfilled.

Thelives of each of us are ordered by the Lord in a beautiful way forHisglory, if we will only entrust Him with your life. If you trytoregulate your own life, it will only be a mess and a failure. OnlytheOne Who made the brain and the heart can successfully guide us toaprofitable end.

I HOPE YOU FIND THIS AS FASCINATING AS I DID.....WOW!!!!

Unknown Author

Ultimately Death

Sun, 03 Jan 2010 22:26:00 +0000

..........it's astonishing how short a time it takes for very

wonderful things to happen..........

Death is certain but the Bible speaks about untimely death! Make a personal reflection about this......Very interesting, read until the end.....

It is written in the Bible (Galatians 6:7):

'Be not deceived; God is not mocked for whatsoever a man sow, that shall he also reap.

Here are some men and women who mocked God :

John Lennon(Singer):

Some years before, during his interview with an American Magazine, he said:

'Christianity will end, it will disappear. I do not have to argue about that..I am certain. Jesus was ok, but his subjects were too simple, today we are more famous than

Him' (1966). Lennon, after saying that the Beatles were more famous than Jesus

Christ, was shot six times.

Tancredo

Neves (President of Brazil ):

During the Presidential campaign, he said if he got 500,000 votes from his party, not even God would remove him from Presidency. Sure he got the votes, but he got sick a day before being made President, then he died.

Cazuza

(Bi-sexual Brazilian composer, singer and poet):

DuringA show in Canecio ( Rio de Janeiro ), while smoking his cigarette, he puffed out some smoke into the air and said:'God, that's for you.'He died at the age of 32 of LUNG CANCER in a horrible manner.

The man who built the Titanic:

After the construction of Titanic, a reporter asked him how safe the Titanic would be. With an ironic tone he said: 'Not even God can sink it' The result: I think you all know what happened to the Titanic

Marilyn Monroe (Actress):

She was visited by Billy Graham during a presentation of a show. He said the Spirit of God had sent him to preach to her. After hearing what the Preacher had to say, she said: 'I don't need your Jesus'. A week later, she was found dead in her apartment

Bon Scott(Singer):

The ex-vocalist of the AC/DC. On one of his 1979 songs he sang:'Don't stop me; I'm going down all the way, down the highway to hell'. On the 19th of February 1980, Bon Scott was found dead, he had been choked by his own vomit.

Campinas (IN 2005)

In Campinas , Brazil a group of friends, drunk, went to pick up a

friend.....The mother accompanied her to the car and was so worried about the drunkenness of her friends and she said to the daughter holding her hand, who was already seated in the car: 'My Daughter, Go With God And May He Protect You.' She responded: 'Only If He (God) Travels In The Trunk, Cause Inside Here.....It's Already Full. Hours later, news came by that they had been involved in a fatal

accident, everyone had died, the car could not be recognized what type of car it had been, but surprisingly, the trunk was intact. The police said there was no way the trunk could have remained intact. To their surprise, inside the trunk was a crate of eggs, none was broken

Christine Hewitt (Jamaican Journalist and entertainer):

said the Bible (Word of God) was the worst book ever written. In June 2006 she was found burnt beyond recognition in her motor vehicle.

Many more important people have forgotten that there is no other name

that was given so much authority as the name of Jesus.

Many have died, but only Jesus died and rose again, and he is still

alive.

'Jesus'

I have done my

part, Jesus said

'If you are

embarrassed about me,

I will also

be embarrassed about you before my father.'

You are my 8 in 8 seconds. I am not breaking this. No way!

I'M TOLD THIS WORKS!!!!!

Bishop T.D. Jakes '8 Second Prayer.' Just

repeat this prayer and see how God moves!!

'Lord,

I love you and I need you, come into my heart, and bless me,

my family, my home, and my friends, in Jesus' name.

Amen.'

Pass

My Heart, Christ's Home

Sun, 03 Jan 2010 22:21:00 +0000

My Heart Christ's Home

Original text by - Robert Boyd Munger

"Ifanyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, andwe will come to him and make our home with him." [John 14:23, NIV]

Oneevening I invited Jesus Christ into my heart. What an entrance He made!It was not a spectacular, emotional thing, but very real. Somethinghappened at the very center of my life. He came into the darkness of myheart and turned on the light. He built a fire on the hearth andbanished the chill. He started music where there had been stillness,and He filled the emptiness with His own loving, wonderful fellowship.I have never regretted opening the door to Christ and I never will.

Inthe joy of this new relationship I said to Jesus Christ, "Lord, I wantthis heart of mine to be Yours. I want to have You settle down here andbe perfectly at home. Everything I have belongs to You. Let me show Youaround."

The Study

The first room was the study - thelibrary. In my home this room of the mind is a very small room withvery thick walls. But it is a very important room. In a sense, it isthe control room of the house. He entered with me and looked around atthe books in the bookcase, the magazines upon the table, the pictureson the walls. As I followed His gaze I became uncomfortable.

Strangely,I had not felt self-conscious about this before, but now that He wasthere looking at these things I was embarrassed. Some books were therethat His eyes were too pure to behold. On the table were a fewmagazines that a Christian had no business reading. As for the pictureson the walls - the imaginations and thoughts of the mind - some ofthese were shameful.

Red-faced, I turned to Him and said,"Master, I know that this room needs to be cleaned up and made over.Will You help me make it what it ought to be?"

"Certainly!" Hesaid. "I'm glad to help you. First of all, take all the things that youare reading and looking at which are not helpful, pure, good and true,and throw them out! Now put on the empty shelves the books of theBible. Fill the library with Scripture and meditate on it day andnight. As for the pictures on the walls, you will have difficultycontrolling these images, but I have something that will help." He gaveme a full-size portrait of Himself. "Hang this centrally," He said, "onthe wall of the mind."

I did, and I have discovered through theyears that when my thoughts are centered upon Christ Himself, Hispurity and power cause impure thoughts to back away. So He has helpedme to bring my thoughts under His control.

The Dining Room

Fromthe study we went into the dining room, the room of appetites anddesires. I spent a lot of time and hard work here trying to satisfy mywants.

I said to Him, "This is a favorite room. I am quite sure You will be pleased with what we serve."

Heseated Himself at the table with me and asked, "What is on the menu fordinner?" "Well," I said, "my favorite dishes: money, academic degreesand stocks, with newspaper articles of fame and fortune as sidedishes." These were the things I liked - secular fare.

When thefood was placed before Him, He said nothing, but I observed that He didnot eat it. I said to Him, "Master, don't You care for this food? Whatis the trouble?"

He answered, "I have food to eat that you do notknow of. If you want food that really satisfies you, do the will of theFather. Stop seeking your own pleasures, desires, and satisfaction.Seek to please Him. That food will satisfy you."

There at thetable He gave me a taste of the joy of doing God's will. What flavor!There is no food like it in all the world. It alone satisfies.

The Living Room

Fromthe dining room we walked into the living room. This room was intimateand comfortable. I liked it. It had a fireplace, overstuffed chairs, asofa, and a quiet atmosphere.

He said, "This is indeed a delightful room. Let us come here often. It is secluded and quiet, and we can fellowship together."

Well,as a young Christian I was thrilled. I couldn't think of anything Iwould rather do than have a few minutes with Christ in closecompanionship.

He promised, "I will be here early every morning. Meet me here, and we will start the day together."

Somorning after morning, I would come downstairs to the living room. Hewould take a book of the Bible from the case. We would open it and readtogether. He would unfold to me the wonder of God's saving truths. Myheart sang as He shared the love and the grace He had toward me. Thesewere wonderful times.

However, little by little, under thepressure of many responsibilities, this time began to be shortened.Why, I'm not sure. I thought I was too busy to spend regular time withChrist. This was not intentional, you understand. It just happened thatway. Finally, not only was the time shortened, but I began to miss daysnow and then. Urgent matters would crowd out the quiet times ofconversation with Jesus.

I remember one morning rushing downstairs, eager to be on my way. I passed the living room and noticed that the door was open.

Lookingin, I saw a fire in the fireplace and Jesus was sitting there. Suddenlyin dismay I thought to myself, "He is my guest. I invited Him into myheart! He has come as my Savior and Friend, and yet I am neglectingHim."

I stopped, turned and hesitantly went in. With downcastglance, I said, "Master, forgive me. Have You been here all thesemornings?"

"Yes," He said, "I told you I would be here everymorning to meet with you. Remember, I love you. I have redeemed you atgreat cost. I value your fellowship. Even if you cannot keep the quiettime for your own sake, do it for mine."

The truth that Christdesires my companionship, that He wants me to be with Him and waits forme, has done more to transform my quiet time with God than any othersingle fact. Don't let Christ wait alone in the living room of yourheart, but every day find time when, with your Bible and in prayer, youmay be together with Him.

The Workroom

Before long, Heasked, "Do you have a workroom in your home?" Out in the garage of thehome of my heart I had a workbench and some equipment, but I was notdoing much with it. Once in a while I would play around with a fewlittle gadgets, but I wasn't producing anything substantial.

Iled Him out there. He looked over the workbench and said, "Well, thisis quite well furnished. What are you producing with your life for theKingdom of God?" He looked at one or two little toys that I had throwntogether on the bench and held one up to me. "Is this the sort of thingyou are doing for others in your Christian life?"

"Well," I said,"Lord, I know it isn't much, and I really want to do more, but afterall, I don't seem to have strength or skill to do more."

"Would you like to do better?" He asked.

"Certainly," I replied.

"Allright. Let me have your hands. Now relax in me and let my Spirit workthrough you. I know that you are unskilled, clumsy and awkward, but theHoly Spirit is the Master Workman, and if He controls your hands andyour heart, He will work through you." Stepping around behind me andputting His great, strong hands under mine, He held the tools in Hisskilled fingers and began to work through me. The more I relaxed andtrusted Him, the more He was able to do with my life.

The Rec Room

Heasked me if I had a rec room where I went for fun and fellowship. I washoping He would not ask about that. There were certain associations andactivities that I wanted to keep for myself.

One evening when I was on my way out with some of my buddies, He stopped me with a glance and asked, "Are you going out?"

I replied, "Yes."

"Good," He said, "I would like to go with you."

"Oh,"I answered rather awkwardly. "I don't think, Lord Jesus, that You wouldreally enjoy where we are going. Let's go out together tomorrow night.Tomorrow night we will go to a Bible class at church, but tonight Ihave another appointment."

"I'm sorry," He said. "I thought thatwhen I came into your home, we were going to do everything together, tobe close companions. I just want you to know that I am willing to gowith you."

"Well," I mumbled, slipping out the door, "we will go someplace together tomorrow night."

Thatevening I spent some miserable hours. I felt rotten. What kind offriend was I to Jesus, deliberately leaving Him out of my life, doingthings and going places that I knew very well He would not enjoy?

WhenI returned that evening, there was a light in His room, and I went upto talk it over with Him. I said, "Lord, I have learned my lesson. Iknow now that I can't have a good time without You. From now on, wewill do everything together."

Then we went down into the rec roomof the house. He transformed it. He brought new friends, newexcitement, new joys. Laughter and music have been ringing through thehouse ever since.

The Hall Closet

One day I found Himwaiting for me at the door. An arresting look was in His eye. As Ientered, He said to me, "There is a peculiar odor in the house.Something must be dead around here. It's upstairs. I think it is in thehall closet."

As soon as He said this, I knew what He was talkingabout. There was a small closet up there on the hall landing, just afew feet square. In that closet, behind lock and key, I had one or twolittle personal things that I did not want anyone to know about.Certainly, I did not want Christ to see them. I knew they were dead androtting things left over from the old life. I wanted them so for myselfthat I was afraid to admit they were there.

Reluctantly, I wentup with Him, and as we mounted the stairs the odor became stronger andstronger. He pointed to the door. I was angry. That's the only way Ican put it. I had given Him access to the library, the dining room, theliving room, the workroom, the rec room, and now He was asking me abouta little two-by-four closet. I said to myself, "This is too much. I amnot going to give Him the key."

"Well," He said, reading mythoughts, "if you think I'm going to stay up here on the second floorwith this smell, you are mistaken. I will go out on the porch." Then Isaw Him start down the stairs.

When one comes to know and loveChrist, the worst thing that can happen is to sense Him withdrawing Hisfellowship. I had to give in.

"I'll give You the key," I said sadly, "but You will have to open the closet and clean it out. I haven't the strength to do it."

"Just give me the key," He said. "Authorize me to take care of that closet and I will."

Withtrembling fingers I passed the key to Him. He took it, walked over tothe door, opened it, entered, took out all the putrefying stuff thatwas rotting there, and threw it away. Then He cleaned the closet andpainted it. It was done in a moment's time. Oh, what victory andrelease to have that dead thing out of my life!

Transferring the Title

Athought came to me. "Lord, is there any chance that You would take overthe management of the whole house and operate it for me as You did thatcloset? Would You take the responsibility to keep my life what it oughtto be?"

His face lit up as He replied, "I'd love to! That is whatI want to do. You cannot be a victorious Christian in your ownstrength. Let me do it through you and for you. That is the way. But,"He added slowly, "I am just a guest. I have no authority to proceed,since the property is not mine."

Dropping to my knees, I said,"Lord, You have been a guest and I have been the host. From now on I amgoing to be the servant. You are going to be the owner and Master."

Runningas fast as I could to the strongbox, I took out the title deed to thehouse describing its assets and liabilities, location and situation. Ieagerly signed the house over to Him alone for time and eternity."Here," I said. "Here it is, all that I am and have, forever. Now Yourun the house. I'll just remain with You as a servant and friend."

Things are different since Jesus Christ has settled down and has made His home in my heart.

wise as a serpent and harmless as a dove