TALK THE TORQUE by guest writer, Bruce Leane.
 
It doesn’t need a university degree to press the button on my drill even if I am unaware that it does have a clutch.
Sixty years ago I was brought before the black coated elders of the local church who wanted to know why I dared to question their spiritual authority concerning certain scriptures.  The scriptures gave instruction about laying hands on the sick and praying for them for healing. I was an asthmatic and searched for answers.  Since that time church doctrine has steadily progressed to include praying for the sick and acknowledging the power of the Holy Spirit.
A left over concept from that rigid black coated era is the idea that only the ordained ecclesia has the power to pray for the sick and see God in his power move for our good.  

​I want to point out that you and I have the same ability to use a Ryobi 18 volt power drill as anybody else.  We are not required to have a university degree.   I dare to suggest  that the power of God is not dispensed to people of great learning or who have degrees, remember the Lord said to the cosmopolitan crowd gathered on the Day of Pentecost  Acts 2: 4, ‘ crowds came running  to see what it was all about, and were stunned to hear their own languages being spoken. “How can this be? they exclaimed.”’  That day the Holy Spirit was poured out on everyone and to this day God has not recalled his Spirit.

​Anyone who holds a Ryobi drill in his or her hand and presses the button has power; anyone who believes and trusts in the Lord has power in their heart and life.  My friend Larry was a ‘tradie’ who met the Lord and gave his life to Jesus unreservedly and the Lord gave himself to Larry unreservedly they were as one. He went to Bible School but it was a struggle.  Larry was fearless in his devotion to Jesus and whoever he met Larry would talk to them about his Lord.  Larry found his way into prisons; here he had a field day preaching.  He was such an ordinary guy the prisoners listened, they were healed and many experienced Jesus in their hearts.  Larry believed, ‘these signs will follow those that believe,’ Matt 16: 17 and he saw the signs of the Lord.

The hand that holds the drill will feel the torque, the hand in the Lord’s hand will feel his power.
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​To operate the drill at the torque number 3, will drive the screw to its shank but to operate the drill at 20 will drive the screw out the other side.  As a believer don’t limit the power of God to a three but go the whole hog and claim 20.  God’s power is not limited by numbers, degrees or status in society. In trusting God we’ve all got as much right to be used by God as the ecclesia. ‘I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I am doing.  He will do even greater things because I (Jesus) am going to my Father.’ John 14: 12.
The ad says, ‘You’ve got it’, and if we’ve got it let’s use it. Don’t quibble about whether we are good enough, remember we have been made good by Jesus; we just need to get on with the job.

 saunas‘Build a better you,’ the advertisement screamed in bold letters. 
On the radio, a soft  voice cooed, ‘Take inches off your waist-line with this nourishing drink.’  The TV screen showed the figure of a man and woman in well-fitting sports-wear. Their bodies the picture of physical perfection most of us could only dream about. 
A beautiful body is loved by all. There is no room for the ugly or the imperfect in this world.  There are dozens of books written on how to lose weight, exercise machines to build the body.  There are weight loss clubs, spars and saunas, all designed to take off the  inches and kilograms. Beauty parlors invite us to groom, tune and prune the body. A healthy lifestyle is necessary if we are to survive to old age.
Self-care is important for a healthy lifestyle and for mental well being,  become self -absorbed to the point where we obsess with overweight, health and looks. All kinds of illnesses, real and imaginary overtake us. 

​  It is just as important what we feed the mind. Self-esteem and a positive attitude are strong building blocks for the mind.  Add to those blocks by forgiving imagined hurts and letting go our pet hates. Deal with fear and anxiety.  An optimistic and confident frame of mind will make us strong mentally and increase our health.
For good mental health, the need to fill the mind with words and images that create emotional strength and balance is beneficial. The mind can be stunted and weakened as well as the body if it is not fed the right diet.
 Following our emotions can lead us down the road to mental instability. The balance between emotions and logic is needful.  Thinking of emotions, fear can hold us back from realizing our full potential in marriage, career and family and yes, daily living.

​Love is a powerful emotion. Love also requires a person to open themselves up and risk being hurt. Unless the risk of being hurt is not taken then we will never find true love. Love is a  potent ingredient for a healthy self-care program.
Love governs the emotions, it replaces hate and fear and gives us healthy self-esteem, love puts balance into living. 
We may choose to do yoga, religion, sports clubs, and great charitable causes. This is commendable and helps keep the balance between self-absorption, selfishness and self-worship.

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Introducing a healthy self-care program :
1.    Seek and Find Peace; a deep inner peace that is not rocked by tragedy, trauma, cross-lotto, or job promotion or demotion.  To find such a peace, first find Jesus, the Prince of Peace. Here is what the Bible says about Peace, Philippians 4: 7  ‘And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.’
2.    Seek and Find Love: ‘There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear involves punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.  We love because he (Jesus) first loved us…’  1 John 4: 18.
3.    Seek and Find a Relationship: Jesus is not a religion nor a theological concept.  He is a person whom we can intimately relate to. The relationship begins the moment when a person believes in their heart of hearts that Jesus is the Lord and God raised him from the dead.
You can never please God without faith, without depending on him. Anyone who wants to come to God must believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely look for him.' (Hebrews  11: 6 LB) 

​Following this step is the need to realize 'I have been crucified with Christ: and I myself no longer live, but Christ lives in me. And the real life I now have within this body is a result of my trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.' (Galatians 2: 20 LB )
The philosophers comfort us by saying beauty is only skin deep.  Others declare its the inner beauty that shines through that makes a beautiful person. 
 It is Jesus who passed on his goodness to me when I believed. The beauty that Jesus gives won't win any beauty or popularity contests in this life. I have Jesus' beauty, peace and joy. That is more than anything that I can do to make myself beautiful. Whether inside or outside.

​The Walt Disney animated film, The Untamed Spirit, is about a horse with an untamed spirit and a girl with a similar nature. 
A wild horse or a brumby is the personification of a free, restless, untamed spirit.  An unorthodox person or independent – minded person is often dubbed a maverick. Unbranded young animals are titled mavericks meaning nobody owns them.

​The Holy Spirit of God – the Spirit of Jesus – the Untameable Spirit that created the universe is ageless, from eternity to eternity. Nobody owns the Holy Spirit, he is his own person.  He is from eternity to eternity.
In and through Jesus, he created the lowest form of a microbe and the most complicated form of life. The man and woman was his crowning creation.
However, the Spirit that was without restraint confined himself in and through a person, his creation. The Holy Spirit confined himself to living in and through his creation. He cannot move unless we allow Him to fill us, direct us, motivate us.

​When God created the first couple, he gave them free will. They were a fantastic pair.  Living a remarkable life in a wonderous time, in a perfect place. They were as God.  They had all that he had.
The untrammelled Spirit would have had unlimited freedom in them and through them, and they would have done amazing things. Still, all we are told in the scriptures is that they walked and talked with God in the cool of the day.
Then came the fall.  When the super pair were challenged by the serpent to question God. The question put to the wonder pair was, 'God knows that in the day that you eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil your eyes will be opened, and you will be as God.'
The chosen pair had not realized they were as God anyway. They had everything; in short, they were as God.  The glorious couple were duped by another spirit wanting to usurp the place of the Untamed Spirit of God.
So, they ate.  Adam and Eve used their gift of free will to choose and threw away their privileged position as the perfect pair. Thus, the untamed Spirit was tamed, or was it?
Subsequent generations though the millennia have blocked the Spirit. Could God by his own creative hand have thwarted himself? Could his deep desire to have a family of people whom he could walk and talk and relate intimately with be his undoing?  Could His Spirit, at last, be tamed?

The untamed Spirit of God had a contingency plan.  That plan included Jesus, his Son. Jesus was the perfect man to demonstrate the freedom of the Holy Spirit of God. Jesus performed miracles and all manner of wonders. The Spirit of God was released through him.
People then and now marveled at Jesus and what he did. But, because of the glorious Edenic pair, their actions in the Garden were passed down to us. As a result, only a few people could accept the free Spirit of Jesus – believe in him, take him and be filled with him and live by the free Spirit of Jesus.

​Anne Wells (Los Angeles Times) tells this story. “My brother-in-law opened the bottom drawer of my sister’s bureau and lifted out a tissue-wrapped package. ‘This is not a slip. This is lingerie,’ he said.  He discarded the tissue and handed me the slip. It was exquisite, silk, handmade and trimmed with a cobweb of lace. The price-tag was astronomical and still attached.

​“Jan bought this the first time we went to New York, at least eight or nine years ago.  She never wore it. She was saving it for a special occasion.  Well, I guess this is the occasion.”  He took the slip from me and put it on the bed with the other clothes we were taking to the mortician. His hands lingered on the soft material for a moment, and then he turned to me, “Don’t ever save anything for a special occasion.  Every day your alive is a special occasion.”

​His words changed my life. I’m doing less dusting and more reading.  I’m sitting on the deck, admiring the view. I’m spending more time with my family and friends and less time in committee meetings. I’ve realized that life is a pattern of experiences to savour not endure. If it is worth seeing, doing, hearing, I want to see, hear and do. I’m trying hard not to put off, holdback, or save anything that would add laughter and lustre to our lives. Every morning I tell myself that every day, minute, breath is a gift from God.
Don’t put off knowing God until later, either.  It will prove to be the greatest loss of all.
Knowing God is to come alive. The colours are brighter, the landscape is fascinating, and the bird-song is more beautiful. Knowing God completes life. ’Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.’ Philippians 3: 7. LB.
Of course, life gets in the way and things don’t work out like we planned. Jesus, within us, gives us the power to live above depression, poverty, sour grapes and avoid pity parties. We are enabled to come through life’s challenges, unscathed, and a whole lot wiser. God always keeps his promises and comes through for us. 

​When we put all else aside and wait in the presence of God, our strength is renewed, we will mount up with wings like eagles; we will run and not grow weary; we shall walk and not faint.’ Isaiah 40: 31. So many times my human strength has run out and God has come through for me in renewed vigour. I savour life and not endure it.
These are the most joyous words ever written, ‘So now, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith in his promises, we can have real peace with him because of what Jesus has done for us. For because of our faith, he has brought us to this place of highest privilege where we now stand and we confidently and joyfully look forward to actually becoming all that God had in mind for us to be.’ Romans 5: 1 – 2
Like the writer of the book of Philippians I am glad to smell the roses, listen to bird-song. I hardly dust anymore, but it’s my camera that gets the work out.  ‘So whatever it takes, I will be one who lives in the fresh newness of life of those who are alive from the dead.’ Whoohooo!

A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art. great works of art.
When the Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and he grieved deeply for his only son. About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands
He said, "Sir, you don't know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly. He often talked about you, and your love for art.”
The young man held out his package. “I know this isn't much. I'm not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this.”
The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. The father stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture.
"Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me ... it's a gift."
The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected.
The man died some time later. There was to be a great auction of his paintings. Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collection. On the platform sat the painting of the son. The auctioneer pounded his gavel. "We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?"
There was silence. Then a voice in the back of the room shouted, "We want to see the famous paintings. Skip this one.”
But the auctioneer persisted. "Will someone bid for this painting? Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?"
Another voice shouted angrily. "We didn't come to see this painting. We came to see the Van Goghs, the Rembrandts. Get on with the real bids!”
But the auctioneer continued. "The son! The son! Who'll take the son?"
Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the long-time, now retired, gardener of the man and his son. "I'll give $10 for the painting.”
Being a poor man, it was all he could afford. "We have $10, who will bid $20?"
"Give it to him for $10. Let's see the masters."
"$10 is the bid, won't someone bid $20?" The crowd was becoming angry. They didn't want the picture of the son. They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections.
The auctioneer pounded the gavel. "Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!"
A man sitting on the second row shouted, "Now let's get on with the collection!"
The auctioneer laid down his gavel. "I'm sorry, the auction is over.”
"What about the paintings?"
"I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will. I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings. The man who took the son gets every thing!"
God gave His son 2,000 years ago to die on a cruel cross. Much like the auctioneer, His message today is, "The son, the son, who'll take the son?” Because, you see, whoever takes the Son gets everything.
​ Author unknown

​THE PERFECT PEAR
 
 When the core of a pear is bad the whole fruit is bad and has to be discarded.
When I was fruit cutting in the Riverland in the 1950’s I would spend weeks cutting pears in halves for drying.
 If the spraying program had been successful the pears were grub free and didn’t have to be cored. If the spraying had not been successful and the pears were riddled with grubs, the core had to be taken out which lowered the quality of the dried fruit and took longer to cut a tray of pears.
Pears that hadn’t been cored and were perfect in colour and crispness when dried, brought a high price but the cored pears were lower in price.  The fruit blocker’s profit margin relied pretty much on the core.  If the core was imperfect his profits were down and if the core was perfect the blocker’s profits were up and he was a happy chappy.   

​AT THE HEART OF THE MATTER
When Bruce’s heart was not functioning properly, his whole life was affected. He was unable to work with his old vigor, he couldn’t walk as briskly nor as far. He found himself running out of breath and experiencing pain.
His life style was poor and he could look forward to an even poorer life style unless his heart in some way could be healed.
After the operation, his heart was restored. His core, so to speak, was healed, and he was functioning perfectly and has been for the last fifteen years or more.
He was a very happy chappy.

​SOCIAL ENGINEERING
Attacking our very core are people who have planned the perfect society where everyone is equal and tolerant of each other.  They are planning a sexless society in that we can choose partners from either sex and change our sex if we are not happy with our present gender.  These people are starting at our core, the school room where our children are so vulnerable and easily trained.  Our children's core will be changed to accept all kinds of immorality that will be called moral. A society of adults who will accept these ideals with out question is being created with no experience of any morality.  Our society is being engineered to being Godless, moral-less, free to be as abnormal as possible. We will be unhappy moral-less chappies.

Satan, the enemy of  God, aims for our core.  He engineers church tradition and doctrine to divert us from a personal relationship with God. He confuses our thinking over doctrines by putting books, films and the media  in our hands that pontificate on spiritual matters causing us to think we should search for this feeling and that kind of knowledge, until our relationship with God is no longer vital but just a habit.
The core of Christianity is Jesus, the core of us is Jesus. The core of us has been made good and nothing can unmake it. It is the presence of a living Christ in us at our core that makes us righteous.  We have been made happy righteous chappies.