Dear Joynetters, although i know that the joynet policy does not exactly encourage members to send forwarded mails into the joynet, i am doing so, because i love this story and i have seen a lot of similar scenes enacted by the Jesusyouth audiovisual ministries, and i believe that those who have not already read it will love to read it too........... happy reading! love, lina. >============================================= >(((((((THE DAILY BREAD))))))) >============================================= >a ministry of GodFocus.com >http://www.thedailybread.net >May 8, 2002 > >============================================= >-THE VERSE- >============================================= >John 15:13 �Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life >for his friends.� > >============================================= >-THE BREAD- >============================================= >He placed one scoop of clay upon another until a form lay lifeless on the >ground. All of the Garden's inhabitants paused to witness the event. Hawks >hovered. Giraffes stretched. Trees bowed. Butterflies paused on petals and >watched. >"You will love me, nature," God said. "I made you that way. You will obey >me, universe. For you were designed to do so. You will reflect my glory, >skies, for that is how you were created. But this one will be like me. This >one will be able to choose." All were silent as the Creator reached into >himself and removed something yet unseen. A seed. "It's called 'choice.' >The seed of choice." >Creation stood in silence and gazed upon the lifeless form. An angel spoke, >"But what if he..." "What if he chooses not to love?" the Creator finished. >"Come, I will show you." Unbound by today, God and the angel walked into >the realm of tomorrow. "There, see the fruit of the seed of choice, both >the sweet and the bitter." The angel gasped at what he saw. Spontaneous >love. Voluntary devotion. Chosen tenderness. Never had he seen anything >like these. He felt the love of the Adams. He heard the joy of Eve and her >daughters. He saw the food and the burdens shared. He absorbed the kindness >and marveled at the warmth. >"Heaven has never seen such beauty, my Lord. Truly, this is your greatest >creation." "Ah, but you've only seen the sweet. Now witness the bitter." A >stench enveloped the pair. The angel turned in horror and proclaimed, "What >is it?" The Creator spoke only one word: "Selfishness." The angel stood >speechless as they passed through centuries of repugnance. Never had he >seen such filth. Rotten hearts. Ruptured promises. Forgotten loyalties. >Children of the creation wandering blindly in lonely labyrinths. �This is >the result of choice?� the angel asked. "Yes." "They will forget you?" >"Yes." "They will reject you?" �Yes.� �They will never come back?� "Some >will. Most won't." "What will it take to make them listen?" >The Creator walked on in time, further and further into the future, until >he stood by a tree. A tree that would be fashioned into a cradle. Even then >he could smell the hay that would surround him. With another step into the >future, he paused before another tree. It stood alone, a stubborn ruler on >a bald hill. The trunk was thick, and the wood was strong. Soon it would be >cut. Soon it would be trimmed. Soon it would be mounted on the stony brow >of another hill. And soon he would be hung on it. He felt the wood rub >against a back he did not yet wear. >"Will you go down there?" the angel asked. "I will." "Is there no other >way?" "There is not." "Wouldn't it be easier to not plant the seed? >Wouldn't it be easier to not give the choice?" "It would," the Creator >spoke slowly. "But to remove the choice is to remove the love." >He looked around the hill and foresaw a scene. Three figures hung on three >crosses. Arms spread. Heads fallen forward. They moaned with the wind. Men >clad in soldier's garb sat on the ground near the trio. They played games >in the dirt and laughed. Men clad in religion stood off to one side. They >smiled. Arrogant, cocky. They had protected God, they thought by killing >this false one. Women clad in sorrow huddled at the foot of the hill. >Speechless. Faces tear streaked. Eyes downward. One put her arm around >another and tried to lead her away. She wouldn't leave. "I will stay," she >said softly, "I will stay." >All heaven stood to fight. All nature rose to rescue. All eternity poised >to protect. But the Creator gave no command. >"It must be done...," he said, and withdrew. But as he stepped in time, he >heard the cry that he would someday scream: "My God, my God, why have you >forsaken me?" He wrenched at tomorrow's agony. The angel spoke again. "It >would be less painful........" The Creator interrupted softly. "But it >wouldn't be love." >They stepped into the Garden again. The Maker looked earnestly at the clay >creation. A monsoon of love swelled up within him. He had died for the >creation before he had made him. God's form bent over the sculptured face >and breathed. Dust stirred on the lips of the new one. The chest rose, >cracking the red mud. The cheeks fleshened. A finger moved. And an eye >opened. But more incredible than the moving of the flesh was the stirring >of the spirit. Those who could see the unseen gasped. Perhaps it was the >wind that said it first. Perhaps what the star saw that moment is what has >made it blink ever since. Maybe it was left to an angel to whisper it: "It >looks like ... it appears to be so much like ... it is him!" >The angel wasn't speaking of the face, the features, or the body. He was >looking inside - at the soul. "It's eternal!" gasped another. Within the >man, God has placed a divine seed. A seed of his self (A seed of choice). >The God of might had created earth's mightiest... And the One who had >chosen to love had created one who could love in return. >Now it's our choice. > >============================================= >-COMMENTS- >============================================= >WOW! What a story!! This will put a whole new spin on how we read the first >chapters of Genesis. But for some of us it will go deeper. It will put a >whole new spin on how we see our relationship with the Father and the Son. >He�s given us so much love. In fact, it�s far too much for us to >comprehend. When I think about what the Lord has done for me in this story >alone, in my salvation, all that I have ever done and will ever do to serve >Him pales in comparison. However, He still lavishes His love upon me. It�s >so amazing, so divine. It demands my soul, my life, my all. How will you >serve Him in response to this gift? > >============================================= >-PRAYER- >============================================= >Respond to Him today in your words, your actions, and your thoughts. > >============================================= >Mandy - Knox - Josh >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >If you feel led to share this message, we urge you to do so! Our mission >is to spread the message of Christ across the Internet to as MANY people as >possible!! > > > >--------------------------------------------------------------------------- >To be unsubscribed from the The Daily Bread mailing list simply click on >the link below >http://lists.godfocus.com/cgi/s.pl?r=1&l=2&e=linacca=:hotmail.com > > > > >
<html><DIV><FONT face="Lucida Handwriting, Cursive" color=#cc0000 size=5><EM> lina </EM></FONT></DIV></html> _________________________________________________________________ Join the world�s largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. http://www.hotmail.com **************************************************************** This mail is generated from JOYnet, a Jesus Youth mailing list. To unsubscribe, send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe to this mailing list, visit http://www.jesusyouth.org/joynet For automatic help, send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] In case of any issue related to the mailing list contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] ****************************************************************
