Where Are The Answers?
Mr. Mechanic, you know if you are going to be a preacher of Righteousness ((right doing)) you have to use your tools and not just talk about them. You need to have a wife that will represent your faith and look like a Christian, to help you, not hinder you in bringing souls to the Lord. The Bible says to be doers of the word and not just hearing something and forget about it. What does it mean to be fortified? The mind is to be fortified with Scripture. If we have all these good words in our head then there will be no room for the bad. The things that effect people for the good are love, joy, peace, longsuffering, patience, which are the tools to be used and not just talked about for anyone who decides to follow the Lord. We can talk about the Word all day, but if we do not put it into action, there is no value to it. We can have the power for action if we abide in Christ and develop His character. This is why Jesus said to possess your soul in patience. It takes a lot of patience to have the mind of Christ.
The mechanic wanted to learn and obey, so when he spoke his mind he found himself in hot water, as he found out a lot of people just want to pretend they are Christians, but didn’t want to obey everything God plainly says. He knew he had much growing to do also but when he knew it was truth, he believed and shared it with others and would leave the results with God.
The days were going by so quickly, and then the day came for him to see his little bride walk the isle in tears. They were tears of awe and wonder that it was really happening to her. It turned out to be a beautiful day and he felt that surely heaven was happy with his choice. The couple truly wanted to serve the Lord, but there would be many battles to face and a lot of self to subdue, and very calloused knees with continued pleas to God for strength and forgiveness.
After the reception was over, the couple found their car had tin cans tied to it and the hubcaps had rocks in them. The car had writing on it and the suitcase was doused with rice. Was the coil also out of place?
Somehow things got back in order by the mechanic and the couple started down the highway with followers behind to make sure they had no peace and ready for more mischievous maneuvers. They turned around and went down another highway. After some miles when the followers were behind a hill, the mechanic quickly turned off on to a side road where they couldn’t be seen and the followers zoomed by.
The honeymoon journey was a long trip with a lot of camping. The hot summer days were so enjoyable. But as all good thing can be spoiled or come to a halt that is what happened when the alternator quit working on the car. You can’t use the lights when it’s dark so they had to stay right there until daylight. In the morning they started out on this long, very narrow, winding road with a downgrade so the brakes and gears had to be used a lot. That was quite a road and by the time they reached the valley, the brakes were hot and the radiator was boiling. They finally found a place to pull off the road, so the mechanic could work on his weeping car. You do not pour cold water into a boiling hot radiator with the motor turned off or it could possibly crack the motor with the sudden cold meeting the heat, so the motor has to be running so it will gradually circulate and cool slowly. Now the mechanic had brought his tools along and was able to fix the alternator. Some times it is hard to listen to others. All of us are proud of what we think we know.
They were thankful for the sunny day to do all this work and spent the night in the beautiful mountain surroundings. This was a wonderful place to hike and see the streams and rivers and the waterfalls and watch the birds. The mountains can be the secluded place where God would like his people to come to meet with Him alone in prayer recognizing his great majesty and power in the towering peeks. He says come apart and rest awhile and behold his marvelous works of nature.
As soon as they could, the couple returned to their work at the college. They had a lot of growing to do in their Christian walk and as they learned they wanted to do as the Lord said even if it was totally contrary to the normal way of the mind-set of the people around. If the Lord said it, I will do it, became the key of life. It was a time for reading diligently to know just what the requirements are to eternal life and see the lovely Jesus in His glorious kingdom.
Their little house needed painting, so they used the leftover paint from other projects at the school to brighten up the walls. After all, there was to be an addition to this house and it needed to look more cheery.
After a while the mechanic bought a different car. He always wanted to be fixing something or making something else. The next thing he was doing was grinding the valves of the motor. Did it really make it better? Anyway he was doing his favorite thing and learning at the same time. How often does each person need to take the grinder and grind off the rough spots that collect in the valves of the soul that needs to be smoothed out and softened, so the Holy Spirit can use the person in the work of God?
Every day we are to examine our life and repent of our sins. Do we drive a car without knowing there is gas and oil in it? We should not attempt to do anything without knowing we are right with the Lord and have the Holy Spirit to run our life for us. We need to know we have put our burden of sin upon the Lord and confessed and forsaken them all.
“The darkness of the evil one encloses those who neglect to pray. The whispered temptations of the enemy entice them to sin; and it is all because they do not make use of the privileges that God has given them in the divine appointment of prayer. Why should the sons and daughters of God be reluctant to pray, when prayer is the key in the hand of faith to unlock heaven’s storehouse, where are treasured the boundless resources of Omnipotence? Without unceasing prayer and diligent watching we are in danger of growing careless and of deviating from the right path. . . .
There are certain conditions upon which we may expect that God will hear and answer our prayers. One of the first of these is that we feel our need of help from Him. . . . The heart must be open to the Spirit’s influence, or God’s blessing cannot be received. . . .
Another element of prevailing prayer is faith. . . . Jesus said to His disciples, “What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” Mark 11:24. . . .
When we do not receive the very things we asked for, at the time we ask, we are still to believe that the Lord hears and that He will answer our prayers. . . . When our prayers seem not to be answered, we are to cling to the promise; for the time of answering will surely come, and we shall receive the blessing we need most. . . . God is too wise to err, and too good to withhold any good thing from them that walk uprightly.
When we come to ask mercy and blessing from God we should have a spirit of love and forgiveness in our own hearts.”
CSA 27