Tuesday, February 14, 2006
Another deadly honest post.
Alright it's the day after the storm and things are looking up. I'm still deadly cautious about everything but since I'm on duty I doubt many things can go wrong today.
I suppose desperate situations call for prompt answers and in this case the Lord was kind enough to answer me via the book of Devarim i.e. Deuteronomy. After having typed out the post I opted for an early night. So I hopped into bed and played on iTunes a sermon by Ravi Zacharias "Interpreting failures, conserving victories". Which touch on Deuteronomy and it really spoke to me. Well while I was still awake that is; I find listening to something as thick and hard to chew as Ravi helps me sleep.
Anyhow I checked out the book the next day (i.e. today). And it comforted me some more. This is what chapter 8 (which spoke to me the most) says:
Chapter 8 v1-5
"
Be careful to obey all the commands I am giving you today. Then you will live and multiply, and you will enter and occupy the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors.
Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness for forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would really obey his commands.
Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people need more than bread for their life; real life comes by feeding on every word of the Lord. For all these forty years your clothes didn't wear out, and your feet didn't blister or swell.
So you should realize that just as a parent disciplines a child the Lord your God disciplines you to help you.
"
Fits doesn't it?
Then I was reminded of my all time favorite Christian poem. From which I drew a lot of strength and comfort. A poem I want engraved onto my tome stone or urn whatever it maybe.
"When God wants to drill a man,
and thrill a man, and skill a man;
When God wants to mold a man,
to play the noblest part,
When He yearns with all His heart
to create so great and bold a man,...
that all the world will be amazed;
WATCH His methods! - WATCH His ways!
How He ruthlessly perfects
whom He Royally Elects!
How He hammers him,and hurts him,...
and with mighty blows,converts him...
into trial shapes of clay
which only God understands.
While his tortured heart is crying,
and he lifts beseeching hands,
How he bends but never breaks,
when His good He undertakes.
How He uses whom He chooses,
and with every purpose fuses him,
...by every act induces him,
to try His splender out;
GOD KNOWS WHAT HE'S ABOUT!"
It was then that the Lord lead me to remember that the promises that were given to me in my teenage years. Promises, both that had already happened and those yet to happen.
I came to the realization that I am and have always been a deceptive human being. No epiphany to be sure but just came to remembrance. I've always been manipulative of my surroundings and my close friends know this. Heck total strangers can some time sense this. This manipulative nature I'm sure works hand in hand with my pride.
Now, after a very long night's sleep understand why I've been put into doing something I'm rotten at. It's a humbling experience, no longer can I swagger about, being better than everyone else when I'm scrapping the bottom of the barrel.
Another thing you might notice from the chapter spoke to me. " to prove your character " which is when the Lord shows you your character (I might be wrong on this though I can't see how) and he has and I don't like what I see. I want it to change, delta, morph, evolve into something better. Something Christ like.
One more thing about the Old temptation that's been coming back. This chapter also gave me an answer to it. Many times before this I like Paul have prayer numerous times that the Lord not subject me to this constant pain in my bottom. Something I always have to be on a look out for. Something that shames me even. So many times have I been dead sure that without this little thing nagging at the back of my head I'd be so much better at work, school, home and ministry. So many times have I placed that thing has what's been holding me back. Then again the Lord reminded me, that it really is about daily bread, dying daily.
That constant struggle reminds me how weak I really am. That I really, everyday, still need my daily bread.
I've also come to a realization how moods can subtly affect people. for instance yesterday I was fuming and emotional explosive with a forced calm. I noticed that everyone else took an early night as well. It may have been that they were tired too. But I'd better be more cautious of my moods from now on.
I still want to be a Good Christian Witness and not bring embarrassment to the the body of Christ. Lord help me.
Oh before I forget, in case you're wondering HOW the storm managed to pass. Staff HO (like you all know who he is) managed to wield the thing back together again. THANK YOU STAFF HO.
I've finally found a chance to go to Kao Hsiung to get the Christmas T - shirts done. So what that means to all you who've asked me for more photos is that that you aren't getting any. Mostly because I've found an even more efficient use for my digi-camera; video. Though it's sad that with a 512 SD card I can only get about 20 mins of footage but it seems to be enough for the job.
Thanks for those that responded I do feel better.
Jonathan's Gem for today:
It most advisable to have aleast 200mb hard disk space free on your laptop lest your com starts harassing you.
That is all
Jacob to Israel
Jon.P
Alright it's the day after the storm and things are looking up. I'm still deadly cautious about everything but since I'm on duty I doubt many things can go wrong today.
I suppose desperate situations call for prompt answers and in this case the Lord was kind enough to answer me via the book of Devarim i.e. Deuteronomy. After having typed out the post I opted for an early night. So I hopped into bed and played on iTunes a sermon by Ravi Zacharias "Interpreting failures, conserving victories". Which touch on Deuteronomy and it really spoke to me. Well while I was still awake that is; I find listening to something as thick and hard to chew as Ravi helps me sleep.
Anyhow I checked out the book the next day (i.e. today). And it comforted me some more. This is what chapter 8 (which spoke to me the most) says:
Chapter 8 v1-5
"
Be careful to obey all the commands I am giving you today. Then you will live and multiply, and you will enter and occupy the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors.
Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness for forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would really obey his commands.
Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people need more than bread for their life; real life comes by feeding on every word of the Lord. For all these forty years your clothes didn't wear out, and your feet didn't blister or swell.
So you should realize that just as a parent disciplines a child the Lord your God disciplines you to help you.
"
Fits doesn't it?
Then I was reminded of my all time favorite Christian poem. From which I drew a lot of strength and comfort. A poem I want engraved onto my tome stone or urn whatever it maybe.
"When God wants to drill a man,
and thrill a man, and skill a man;
When God wants to mold a man,
to play the noblest part,
When He yearns with all His heart
to create so great and bold a man,...
that all the world will be amazed;
WATCH His methods! - WATCH His ways!
How He ruthlessly perfects
whom He Royally Elects!
How He hammers him,and hurts him,...
and with mighty blows,converts him...
into trial shapes of clay
which only God understands.
While his tortured heart is crying,
and he lifts beseeching hands,
How he bends but never breaks,
when His good He undertakes.
How He uses whom He chooses,
and with every purpose fuses him,
...by every act induces him,
to try His splender out;
GOD KNOWS WHAT HE'S ABOUT!"
It was then that the Lord lead me to remember that the promises that were given to me in my teenage years. Promises, both that had already happened and those yet to happen.
I came to the realization that I am and have always been a deceptive human being. No epiphany to be sure but just came to remembrance. I've always been manipulative of my surroundings and my close friends know this. Heck total strangers can some time sense this. This manipulative nature I'm sure works hand in hand with my pride.
Now, after a very long night's sleep understand why I've been put into doing something I'm rotten at. It's a humbling experience, no longer can I swagger about, being better than everyone else when I'm scrapping the bottom of the barrel.
Another thing you might notice from the chapter spoke to me. " to prove your character " which is when the Lord shows you your character (I might be wrong on this though I can't see how) and he has and I don't like what I see. I want it to change, delta, morph, evolve into something better. Something Christ like.
One more thing about the Old temptation that's been coming back. This chapter also gave me an answer to it. Many times before this I like Paul have prayer numerous times that the Lord not subject me to this constant pain in my bottom. Something I always have to be on a look out for. Something that shames me even. So many times have I been dead sure that without this little thing nagging at the back of my head I'd be so much better at work, school, home and ministry. So many times have I placed that thing has what's been holding me back. Then again the Lord reminded me, that it really is about daily bread, dying daily.
That constant struggle reminds me how weak I really am. That I really, everyday, still need my daily bread.
I've also come to a realization how moods can subtly affect people. for instance yesterday I was fuming and emotional explosive with a forced calm. I noticed that everyone else took an early night as well. It may have been that they were tired too. But I'd better be more cautious of my moods from now on.
I still want to be a Good Christian Witness and not bring embarrassment to the the body of Christ. Lord help me.
Oh before I forget, in case you're wondering HOW the storm managed to pass. Staff HO (like you all know who he is) managed to wield the thing back together again. THANK YOU STAFF HO.
I've finally found a chance to go to Kao Hsiung to get the Christmas T - shirts done. So what that means to all you who've asked me for more photos is that that you aren't getting any. Mostly because I've found an even more efficient use for my digi-camera; video. Though it's sad that with a 512 SD card I can only get about 20 mins of footage but it seems to be enough for the job.
Thanks for those that responded I do feel better.
Jonathan's Gem for today:
It most advisable to have aleast 200mb hard disk space free on your laptop lest your com starts harassing you.
That is all
Jacob to Israel
Jon.P
