December 17, 2023

The Shepherd's Corner

Peter Torry, our guest speaker at our latest church’s anniversary, wrote a book, based on his life, which he titled, Out of The Ordinary, Living an Extraordinary Life. Through the book he wishes to convey a simple message: Out of the ordinary life of an ordinary person, God wants to make extraordinary things happen and provide a remarkable life.”  Amen to that!  In the book he also includes a letter that he wrote to his grandchildren and one of the advices he gave them is this, “School is important.  Friends are important.  Sports and hobbies are fun.  But more important than anything else is your life with Jesus and spending time with Him by reading and memorizing the Bible and praying.”  Another Amen to that!

If we look at the biblical figures, we will find that most of them were ordinary men and women used by God to do extraordinary things.  They’re just like anybody else; they did not possess special qualities or talents.  What they had, which we might not have, was faith and obedience.  You see, they followed God’s direction wholeheartedly.  As a result, they led remarkable lives and made indelible impacts.

God chose the simple shepherds and ordinary Simeon and Anna to be the witnesses to the birth of Jesus Our Savior. God chose them not because they were special; on the contrary, God chose them for being ordinary.  In his book, Peter Torry shares the trips he made to countries in Asia and Africa, bringing the Gospel of Jesus to those who do not know Him.  You see, he had never dreamed of the life he had, but God had a greater plan for him.  For that he’s thankful.

The extraordinary part of Peter Torry’s life was the privilege to do something for Our Blessed Lord.  To others, the extraordinary part is not doing something but rather seeing something about the Lord. The shepherds, Simeon, and Anna saw Jesus, the Son of God.

Pastor Paul

More Shepherd's Corner Articles

The Shepherd's Corner - January 31, 2016
THE SHEPHERD’S CORNER God does not leave any stones unturned. Even when we come to Him for help, He still uses the occasion to make us see more clearly—sometimes to see Him more clearly, sometimes to see us more clearly. That was what Jesus Our Lord did to Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, as recorded...
Read More
The Shepherd's Corner - March 26, 2023
Yesterday we buried Oom Henry Tjioe.  Most of you did not know him; I, too, did not know him too well. In fact, I only met him several times.  It was Tante Yvonne and Oom Peter who tried to introduce him to Christ by inviting him and his wife, Tante Florence, to the Orange County’s [&hel...
Read More
The Shepherd's Corner - August 4, 2024
Last week while I was reading on our patio, I noticed something on a small plant that we had in our side yard: a bee swarm!  Hundreds or perhaps thousands of bees were hanging on that little plant.  I was surprised because a couple of days before, I didn’t see them there.  I guessed...
Read More