Fatic, Russ 3

Scriptures: James 1:22a (KJV) “But, be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only,”

Matthew 25:37-40 (KJV) – “Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, 'Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?' And the King shall answer and say unto them, 'Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.'”

Matthew 25:21 (KJV) – ^“His lord said unto him, 'Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.'”

Message: This is a story that I heard at a convention years ago.

There was a church, which was said be in Europe, that had a considerable amount of damage from bombings in World War II. Inside this church, close to the altar was a statue of Jesus which was almost unharmed. He was standing up with His arms outstretched. However, there were no hands; the hands had been blown off from all the blasts in the area.

During the rebuilding of the church the congregation, after some deliberation, decided not to replace the hands of Jesus. Instead, they put a small plaque at His feet which read: “I have no hands but yours”, which was taken from the words of St Teresa of Avila, a 16^th Century Carmelite Nun from Spain: “Christ has no hands but our hands to do His work on earth. If we don’t feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, entertain the stranger, visit the imprisoned, and clothe the naked, who will?”.

The provenance of this story is unclear, however the truth revealed through this story is a great reminder that Jesus only has our hands to do His work on earth. So let’s use our hands for Him as he calls us to do.

Prayer: Father, give us strength to live our lives so that one day You will say, “Well done my good and faithful servant.”. Thank You Jesus, our Good Shepherd, who protects us and shows us the way to be Your hands on earth. Amen.

Russ Fatic

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Scripture: Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV) – “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men that they may see your good works and praise your Father in heaven.”

Message: My hometown was Brooksville, Florida. One week-end, when I came home from the University of Florida, I went with my parents to church. After the service, I waited outside for my mother and father to show up. A group had formed and were immersed in local gossip. I tried to generate interest in the chitchat, but it was useless; I just wanted to go home.

Lucky for me, I didn't leave. A girl stepped out of the crowd, possibly for the same reason I did, and came over to talk with me. She appeared to be in her early 30s. Also, it turned out that she was a mermaid at Week Wachee Spring Park near Brooksville. We had a conversation that was a true Godsend, just when I needed it. Her name was Janna and she was an angel and also an intern.

Bottom line: When we create joy for others, it may not just be a one-time event. The glow may last a lifetime, as this interaction with Janna did for me and, I'm sure, for many others.

From Albert Schweitzer: “I don't know what your destiny may be, but one thing I know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve."¹

Prayer: Father, Thank You for the thought that real joy comes from helping others who are lonely, grieving, disheartened, frustrated or just need a friend. Most of all, thank You for Jesus, our ultimate Light, Savior and Friend. Help us to Shine Your Light to others in need. Amen.

Russ Fatic

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Scripture: Luke 10:38-42 (NIV) - "As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, 'Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!' 'Martha, Martha,' the Lord answered, 'you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed - or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her'"

Message: Everyone in my family is familiar with the story of Mary and Martha. Jesus is visiting Mary and Martha in their home. Mary was seated at Jesus' feet visiting with him. Martha complained greatly about having to do all the work back in the kitchen.

Jesus explained to Martha that Mary's presence with Him was much more important than food from the kitchen. He was lonesome and needed the spiritual togetherness with Mary.

In the Fatic home celebrations, anyone who lagged too long in the kitchen arid was not joining the group in the dining room, would hear, "Martha, Martha, get out of the kitchen!" from everybody.

Also while we're on togetherness, we would do well to remember: Hebrew3 13:2 (KJV) "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares."

As a child, I went to Daily Vacation Bible School. This was about 80 years ago arid we worked on many projects that I have long forgotten. However, the one thing that really stuck with me was the Bible verse from Ephesians 4:32a (KJV) - "Be ye kind one to another,"

Prayer: Dear Lord, we love You and ask that You give us the wisdom and strength to do Your will under any circumstances. And, thank You for Jesus, our Good Shepherd, who protects us and shows us the way. Amen.

Russ Fatic

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