I chose these brass knuckles as a grille ornament for my 1940 Chevy “Rat Rod” pickup truck. I found them in a box of junk about ten years after I gave my heart to Jesus and made Him Lord of my life. For some reason I never threw them away. I’d run across them every now and then and figure I should probably get rid of them because they reminded me of my past when I used them in acts of violence. But I just never did. When I got my truck, I started looking for ways to make it look cool. One day, the idea came to me to put them on the front of the grille as a testimony of God’s grace. I chose the word Beyond in the title of this blog because Webster Dictionary defines beyond as: 1) on the far side of. 2) outside the power or domain of. 3) After; past. That definition best describes what they mean to me now.
Eight years before becoming a Christian, I did enforcement for the underworld in Kansas City, using these very knuckles on numerous occasions to hurt people I didn’t even know. The last time I was arrested, I had beaten a man almost to death with a ball bat and was charged with first-degree assault with intent to kill. Seven months after my arrest, I gave my heart to Jesus. Although I was still facing fifteen years to life, I had peace. The Bible calls it the peace that passes all understanding. I am not proud of what I did during those years of my life, but I have been forgiven of all my past and do not live in any condemnation (Romans 8:1).
Maybe you don’t have the kind of peace I am talking about, but it is only a prayer away. God’s Word says that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Romans 6:23 says that the wages of sin is death. But the good news is that Jesus paid the price for our sins. We can be totally forgiven and walk out our new life with peace and joy.
If you would like to have your slate wiped clean today and start fresh, ask Jesus to forgive you of your sinful past and take control of your life. Just talk to Him like you would one of your friends. He already knows you and everything about you. Nothing you can say will shock Him.
If you asked Him to forgive you of your past, go and tell someone today. Acknowledge Him before men and He will acknowledge you before His Father in heaven (Matthew 10:32). Start reading the love story God wrote to you. It is called the Bible (Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth). Your life will never be the same.
God bless you and keep you and make His face to shine upon you.
Bill Corum
II Corinthians 5:17
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