A New Creature. . . an Apostolic Pentecostal blog

I am a woodworker. I love the beauty of wood. I love making things from wood. I love the rich glistening, almost iridescent beauty of a finely finished piece of wood. I love the warmth of wood, compared to steel or glass or ceramic. I love looking at the growth rings in a piece of wood. Imagining the years of budding growth, and fruit bearing, and glorious autumnal colors, and then the time or dormancy. I love thinking of all the animals who were blessed by the tree from which the wood came. . . birds nesting and resting. . . squirrels scampering and gathering nuts and acorn. . . building their leafy dens high in the tree tops. Newborn fawns resting in the shade of the tree. . . I love wood. . . All that being said, Jackie and I have a wood burner, and we burn wood to heat our home. I do recognize that wood serves many purposes, but still when I gather logs to place upon the fire, I look a bit ruefully at the piece and wonder what might have been created from it. This year i

I do our church’s street sign message. I spend much time praying for God to give me the words He would like to see displayed there. Sometimes several weeks will go by with nothing coming to my mind, and I begin to worry and fret. . . Thinking about this, this morning it comes to my mind, that the Bible’s message has not changed in 2000 years. Man’s interpretation of that message has changed at times. In the past men have twisted the words and selectively used the words of the Bible to try to bend them into all manner of their own beliefs, and men continue that practice unabated today, but the mere fact that men have corrupted God’s message, that does not demean or diminish the message of the Bible itself. Below I have selected some of the foundational principles of the Bible: 1.The Word of God is divinely inspired and therefore perfect: 2 Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in r