THE DEVELOPER | Frank Becker

Week Eleven, 2024

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:10).

It was my hobby when I was young. As a teenager, my most prized possession was my camera. I built a darkroom. It was long before digital photography and I had to develop the film and print the photos.

The first task was building the darkroom. I used a bathroom and proceeded to make it totally dark. I would get it done and then turn out the lights and sit in total darkness and then pinpoints of light would appear. After going through that exercise several times, the room was totally, totally dark with not even a pinhead of light.

The first exercise was to remove the film from the camera and place it in the developing solution, for not too long or too short of a period of time so that it would develop exactly as it should.

Then, I would project the film onto print paper and slowly the picture would appear. The next step was to put the printed picture in a “fixing” solution so that it would not disappear when it was exposed to light. Hang it on a cloth line with a cloth pin to dry and then we were done and could open the door to regular light.

I thought how the Lord “develops” us. Like the instant the camera shutter clicks, the picture is made, but then it has to be developed. There is that “instant click” in our lives when we accept Christ and are saved, but that begins a development process as we grow in the faith.

The Bible shows us a way of life that turns us from sin and embraces holiness. As we see God’s goodness and grace through the gospel and are renewed in our minds to think in alignment with God’s thoughts, we can then act in a way that pleases Him and blesses others. By reading the Bible, we learn who God is, as we learn about life, relationships, work, and a whole lot of other things about life and living.

We learn how God cares for humanity and most importantly, we learn clearly how to have a personal relationship with God. The Bible holds knowledge, Truth and hope. Interwoven throughout the Bible is the redemptive work of God. Each book points to His master plan to rescue broken and desperate people and restore their relationships with Him through Jesus.

The next time you read a passage from the Bible, take time to look through that text and see how it connects to Jesus, as He leads us through the development of our lives.

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SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

No one is beyond redemption.
Abraham was 100 and Sarah 90 when God said it’s time to go to Babies R Us
Noah was a drunk
Isaac was a daydreamer
Jacob was a liar
Leah was not beautiful
Joseph was abused
Moses had a stuttering problem
Gideon was afraid
Samson had long hair and was a womanizer
Rahab was a prostitute
Jeremiah was too young
David was an adulterer (not to mention he covered it up with murder)
Elijah was suicidal
Isaiah that dude preached naked
Jonah ran from God
Naomi was a widow
Job went bankrupt
John the Baptist ate bugs
Andrew lived in the shadow of his big brother
Peter denied Christ more than once
All the disciples fell asleep while praying (and ran away when Jesus really needed them.)
Martha worried about everything
The Samaritan woman was divorced (more than once)
Mary Magdalene was demon-possessed
Zacchaeus was too small
Timothy had an ulcer
Paul was a Christian-killer
Oh…and Lazarus that dude was dead!

Don’t tell me God can’t use you.

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WORDS OF WISDOM FROM EDGAR APONTE:

• King Jesus has power to forgive sins, because He is God and Lord.

• Forgiveness of sin is your biggest need, and only Jesus can give it to you. You need to come to Him in faith!

• Do not harden your heart. Stop resisting God and honor Jesus!

• In faith and love, bring others before Jesus. Pray for the lost and tell them about Jesus.

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QUOTES YOU CAN USE

Death is just a comma to a Christian, not a period. Adrian Rogers

The future doesn’t belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave. Ronald Reagan

The hard part is, relinquishing the control that I so highly value. Marty Stubblefield

Fear is a reaction. Courage is a decision. Sir Winston Churchill

You never know how a horse will pull until you hook him to a heavy load. Bear Bryant

Jesus said, “I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” (John 10:11)

Jesus calls sinners to follow Him. Edgar Aponte

When someone speaks the truth in love, it pierces our very being because we know our own heart and see ourselves without excuses or coverups. Dwight Short.

To feel valued, to know, even if only once in a while, that you can do a job well is an absolutely marvelous feeling. Barbara Walters

There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence and the other is to believe in and feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. Demons are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist on the one hand, or a magician on the other, with equal delight. C.S. Lewis’ Screwtape Letters

Only when you understand your desperate need of Jesus, will you be willing to leave everything to follow Him. Edgar Aponte

The reason God looks at our hearts while man looks on the outward appearances is because there’s more important information than what you find on a scoreboard. Dwight Short

We don’t always know why certain things happen to us, but God knows. Dan Shock

In order to write about life first you must live it. Ernest Hemingway

A rising tide raises all ships, but you have to make sure your boat is in the water.

It is the mark of an educated man to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. Aristotle

Beware of self-righteous traditions that elevate ourselves while ignoring our sin and need of divine mercy. Edgar Aponte

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