Stand a few feet in front of the mirror.  Look

intently!  You are looking at the face of a man who

failed.  Failed God.  Failed his family.  Promised to

do better—but didn’t!  You took a seat when you should

have taken a stand.  How many times can you fail and

expect to be caught?  Are you looking at yourself?  I

heard a respectable man confess, “I looked in the

mirror and I saw a bum!”  God was dealing with the

inward man..    A man told the photographer, “I don’t

like this picture of myself.”  The photographer told

him to step outside and bring in the man he wanted to

look like!  

The Bible gives the correct answer.  Open to  the book

of James, chapter 1, verse 23 and 24.:  “Anyone who

listens to the word but does not do what it says is

like a man who looks at his face in a mirror. And

after looking at himself, goes away and immediately

forgets what he looks like.  Obedience and faith work

together.  This man hears the Word, not forgetting

what he has heard—but doing it—he will be blessed in

what he does (vs. 25 NLT)..

While doing missionary work in the remote Andes

Mountains of Colombia, South America, I encountered a

most interesting native.  Pablo Cortez lived quite

some distance up a deep quebrado (or rushing mountain stream) that flowed into the Suaza River Valley where I was working.  His aunt had acquired a catholic Bible from a priest.  Pablo read this book as often as he had the chance.  Then his aunt gave him the Bible saying, “I have a rosary so don/t need this book.  He

took it home and read it often .  It revealed the Word

of God.  The thief and the liar, the adulterer and the

murderer none of these evil doers would go to heaven.

Pablo Cortez was deeply convicted.

He asked God to transform his life.  God did just

that!  His mistress noticed the transformation and

asked what happened.  He testified to her and she also

turned her life over to God.  They soon got married,

and God blessed this holy union with two precious

girls.  They prayed for a son and God gave them a son.

They opened their home for evangelistic services and

many neighbors received salvation.  Pablo went to

Bible school and, built a lovely church in their town.

Your eyes see your faults, your faith sees your

Savior.

Yours for a better world,

Erwin Bourne

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