From the desk of Bill Gibson

This morning I came across a letter my dad had written several years ago. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

"Early in the morning, I get a cup of coffee and go to my little office. It is a small Morgan building on our lot. As I came out of the door, I saw a light on at my neighbor's house, and I could see my neighbor sitting at the table reading her Bible and praying. She came to know the Lord at the Bible Class and has grown greatly in the Lord. She is the secretary to the church that is next door to our park. Don, her husband, has no interest in the things of God but we are working on him.

It is amazing how God works to bring good news to hurting people! I would like to tell you about a lady at the Palisades. I saw her pacing from the hall to the group having coffee. She would move from place to place. She was the epitome of depression, distress and sad restlessness.

I had received in the mail a song, a revised version of the children's song, "Jesus Loves Me This I Know" written for senior citizens. As we sang this song, she looked at the copy I had given her and I could see her reading and drinking in every word. It was what she needed. Please pray for her. I haven't gotten her name yet.

The church next door to our park was once a great, growing church with many people, but now it is struggling and cannot support the pastor full time. He now works doing translations for businesses from English to Spanish. Mike, the Pastor, is Mexican and still studying here at the night seminary in El Paso. Cranel Lindsey, a Baptist pastor and long-time Friend, came to El Paso for a short visit and we visited Pastor Mike. He was very discouraged and we were able to encourage him. Now, we visit as often as we can, I to encourage him and he too, to encourage me and we blend our hearts in prayer together."

Bill Gibson
El Paso Texas
date unknown

Comfort For The Changes Ahead

Changes are inevitable and become more difficult for us as the years go by. Wouldn't it be nice if there were no changes? Isn't it amazing that our God, who never changes, has ordained changes in our lives?


The inevitable changes are not difficult. We seem to enjoy the change from summer to winter or day to night. It seems to be the unexpected changes that bother us. Those changes that we thought would never come, seem to throw us.

In Psalm 55:19b we read, "... Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God." The changes we fear are what draw us to the Lord many times.

David is going through great change as he writes Psalms 42 and 43. In 42:8 he mentions some of the comforts we can count on during the struggle. "Yet the Lord will command his loving-kindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life."

• Loving-kindness in the daytime ... in the sunshine when all is well.
  David mentions the loving-kindness of the Lord many times. Jeremiah in Jer. 31:3 "... with loving-kindness I have drawn thee." Jer. 32:18 "Thou showest loving-kindness to thousands."
  
  Loving-kindness is to be seen in the daytime and enjoyed.
  Loving-kindness is to be shared with others.
  
  The blessings we enjoy today do not come because we have earned or deserved them. They come from the loving heart of God through grace. Therefore, share! Unto whom much is given, much is required.


• Songs in the night ... these are felt in the heart expressions of love and heard with the ear.
  Job 35:10 "...God my maker, who giveth songs in the night;"
  These songs in the night come from God.
  
  It is in the night when we grow spiritually.
  It is in the night when He strengthens us.


• My prayer to the GOD OF MY LIFE
  
  In the day or in the night of change, we ought to pray continually to the God of our life. Remember... He is the God of our life if we know him as Saviour.

Who or what is the god of your life?

Bill Gibson
The Flat Tortilla,
Winter 1987,
El Paso Texas

Bill's Talk on Brotherly Love

"Let brotherly love continue."
~Hebrews 13:1

One of the key words
in the life of the believer is the word "let".
"Let the peace of God rule in your hearts," Col 3:15
"Let this mind be in you," Phil. 2:5

In chapter thirteen of Hebrews we have the secret.

The secret of the believer's life.
The secret of the believer's life of service.
The secret of the believer's life of joy.

The word "let" speaks to me of: to loosen, turn on, not hinder. It's what happens when we turn on the faucet and the water runs free. We let the water run. It does it by itself. It comes from an unseen supply. We don't have to force it out, blow it out, push it out, or draw it out. It just flows.

The problem lies in the fact that there are hindrances. A kink in the hose, for example. These must be straightened first to let the water flow. So it is in the life of the believer. It's not the blowing, pushing, drawing, and trying, but in the letting the love for the brethren that is in us flow. Six kinks are mentioned.

Forgetting to be hospitable.
Forgetting to care and share in suffering.
Forgetting to not be critical or judgmental
Forgetting to be content with what we have.
Forgetting to trust.
Forgetting to obey those who led us to the Lord.

"Now may the God of peace... equip you with every good thing to do his will, performing in us through Jesus Christ that which is well pleasing in His sight to whom be the glory forever and ever amen."

~Heb 13: 20,21

It is my sincere desire
that this will be a blessing and a joy to you.
Bill Gibson, February 1983
El Paso, Texas