Good stuff, Brad. Just ask the Lord for the right balance between a walk in
the Spirit and a striving after Him. "With Him we can do nothing" (John
15:5).
Now you probably don't need the reminder, but maybe I do!
--
Carol
----- Original Message -----
From: "BD" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, January 05, 2004 4:30 PM
Subject: Re: Today's events are tomorrow's testimony... if you let them
> One of these commitments Carol is to enter in my journal daily or nearly
> daily. I am doing so but yet I am to create a template of topics to touch
> on as my entry... I E daily thoughts, attitudes towards others, and
> a quick report on a couple other things I've committed to do and etc. One
> of these ought be how God proved himself to me today. A pastor of mine use
> to mention of a Alter of Remembrance. A continual list of things to remind
> us of how God shows up in our lives. It appears as though that's what they
> are doing in Leviticus with the festivals.
>
> Brad
>
>
> At 01/05/2004 on Monday, carol pearson wrote:
> >Yes, Brad, thanks for your reminder and how well you wrote it! <SMILE>
> >
> >Brother Paul: Thanks for your addition which, as always, was a useful
> >reminder too.
> >
> >
> >--
> >Carol
> >
> >
> >
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "Ariel" <[log in to unmask]>
> >To: <[log in to unmask]>
> >Sent: Monday, January 05, 2004 2:45 PM
> >Subject: Re: Today's events are tomorrow's testimony... if you let them
> >
> >
> > > Hey, Brad
> > >
> > > Amen to your main point. I just wanted to remind folks that the
> >recognition
> > > of the new year and evaluating our lives at the New Year is not a
secular
> > > thing. It is something established by GOD Himself as the festival of
Yom
> > > Kippur (Leviticus 23). There's some debate over whether the holiday
of
> >Rosh
> > > Hashanah celebrated today was really the new year of the Old
Testament,
> >but
> > > either way, the LORD did establish that at least once a year we are to
> > > examine our hearts before Him and the path our lives are taking. It
could
> > > be argued that this type of thing goes along with examining ourselves
at
> >any
> > > sacrifice in the pre-Crucifixion days and, today, at the taking of the
> > > LORD's Supper which Paul warns about taking with a wrong heart. (1
> > > Corinthians 11:28).
> > >
> > > So the blessings you mention are all the stronger for the fact that
the
> >LORD
> > > has sewn these things into the fabric of our Life with Him so that we
can
> > > keep track of those events and milestones more easily. (As witness
the
> >fact
> > > that the LORD told folks repeatedly to write things down so that they
> >could
> > > look back on them and we could profit from them even today).
> > >
> > > Thanks for the reminder!
> > >
> > > Paul
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: "BD" <[log in to unmask]>
> > > To: <[log in to unmask]>
> > > Sent: Monday, January 05, 2004 8:38 AM
> > > Subject: Today's events are tomorrow's testimony... if you let them
> > >
> > >
> > > > With the ringing in of the new year came also my regenerated hope
for
> >new
> > > > beginnings based not off of the fad driven knee-jerk response to a
new
> > > year
> > > > accompanied by a false desire to make New Year's Resolutions, fueled
by
> > > > pressures of society or family and friends who are doing similar,
but
> >that
> > > > of simply reviewing some facets of my life, making a conscious
decision
> >to
> > > > change some old habits and increase various aspects of my daily
life.
> >Many
> > > > times, often times, people make New Year's resolutions because they
are
> > > > just that "re-solutions" to the same problems they had a year
earlier.
> > > > You've heard them all I'm sure, I know I have before and from my own
> >mouth
> > > > at that. Things like... loose weight, begin working out, quit
smoking,
> > > > spend more time with family, or if a Christian, more time with God
> > > perhaps.
> > > > And I suppose I need to recognize that even my desire to review some
> >daily
> > > > habits is due to the convenient mark of a new year falling upon me,
but
> > > > hopefully the commitments I make near this time of year, do not come
to
> >be
> > > > New Year's re-commitments next year at this time with excuses of
> > > > circumstances that caused a change in plans, but rather have looked
back
> > > to
> > > > see I stood the test of endurance with God's help to overcome those
> > > > circumstances and complete what I feel he is telling me to do. Still
yet
> > > we
> > > > ought never lose hope of erasing the slate and starting over, we
have a
> > > God
> > > > of allowing us many beginnings in our trek to keep focused on him,
but
> >as
> > > > he also said let our yeses be yeses and our noes be noes. With that
mind
> > > > set, we ought have a more serious motivation of those things we feel
we
> > > > need to change. Also ringing in the New Year this morning, after
coming
> > > out
> > > > on top of a battle with some sort of infection/illness, was the
ringing
> >of
> > > > my alarm clock. Bright and early it beeped only once at 4:30 AM, and
> >only
> > > > once because I was already awake with excitement of not only feeling
> > > > somewhat human again, but also to begin making the most of the days
> >ahead.
> > > > Still yet in some planning stages, I knew however that my days would
> >start
> > > > with an early rise, something to drink, time with the Lord in either
> > > > reading of his word or taped sermon, and prayer.
> > > >
> > > > Having hit the snooze button, and then turned off the alarm clock, I
> > > > started up the coffee pot with the half and half, decaf and regular
> >coffee
> > > > to continue my trek to decaffeinate myself, I then carefully and
quietly
> > > > grabbed up my tape player and a tape to listen while I let the warm
> >drink
> > > > soothe a recovering throat. The tape I listened to was not the preac
her
> >I
> > > > had hoped but I had decided to listen anyway. As he began to preach
he
> >had
> > > > a very pointed, very short message with four points regarding having
> >faith
> > > > to endure through things we may find ourselves plowing through. One,
> >keep
> > > > your eyes on Jesus. Two, remember who God is. Three, remember who
you
> >are
> > > > in Christ. And four, trust in God 100% to take you through. He then
> > > > proceeded to give a testimony of his adopted daughter. This man and
his
> > > > wife are missionaries to Thailand. They happened across a young lady
> >whose
> > > > mother was a prostitute and the daughter, or mother for that
matter,
> >had
> > > > no idea who the father was. This man and his wife had taken her in
and
> > > > helped bring her up for just over a year now. She attended school in
> > > > Thailand and of course Thailand is a predominantly Buddhist country.
> > > > Fortunately the leader of that country had past two articles in
their
> > > > government. One that gives freedom of religion, and the other to
have
> > > > freedom to express that religion. It happened then that this young
lady,
> > > > Ann, was to attend a drug prevention class in her school based from
> > > > Buddhist precepts. She did not want to attend so this man and his
wife
> > > > wrote a note to the teacher stating they wished them to honor Ann's
> > > > request to not attend. The teacher tried to tell Ann to attend
anyway,
> > > > because her parents would never know the difference. Well Ann,
walked
> >out
> > > > the room and placed a call to this man and wife, who she now calls
mom
> >and
> > > > dad. They go to meet the principle of the school and after an hour
and a
> > > > half of Ann preaching at the principle, he finally said "OK! OK!
you
> >do
> > > > not have to attend". She then became the target of verbal abuse
stating
> > > she
> > > > was a trader to her country and heritage, trader to her race, and
this
> >by
> > > > teachers not, just students. She came home that day and they prayed
> >about
> > > > what to do with a nasty situation now on their hands. They decided
to
> >let
> > > > God take control. She went to school the next day and no one abused
her
> > > > verbally. In fact there were some kids that never before wanted to
be
> >her
> > > > friend, now wanted to be her friend. And three weeks later the
principle
> > > > and many of the teachers, the ones that assaulted her verbally, were
> > > > removed from the school for corruption.
> > > >
> > > > I sat back and pondered about how a 17-year-old girl, in a foreign
> > > > country, with a foreign religion to that land, was strong enough to
> >take
> > > > on her school and make such a difference. I thought how great that
> >sounds
> > > > after it is all said and done. How powerful it is and like our
pastor
> >from
> > > > our former church mentioned afterwards, it is so much different
hearing
> > > > such testimonies from those who lived it, as it tells so quickly but
> >lasts
> > > > so long. And with my repeated rendition of it, I'm sure it does it
an
> > > > injustice, but for the purposes of my point of ponder hopefully it
will
> > > > suffice. It sure sounded great, the power and passion in this man's
> >voice
> > > > of the details of how this all came to pass in a country where
> > > Christianity
> > > > is a minority and persecution is on the rise all over the world. How
he
> > > > encouraged his newly found daughter to count herself honored to be
in
> >good
> > > > company as Peter, John, James and of course the rest of Christ's
> >followers
> > > > as well Jesus Christ himself, to be persecuted for upholding the
truth.
> > > >
> > > > When I hear these stories I look at my own life as a point of
reflection
> > > > and see how a 17 year old young lady has proved more courage, lived
out
> >a
> > > > testimony, and made a difference in those around her more than I had
in
> >a
> > > > long time living in a Christian based country with persecution being
> > > > primarily that of "Oh don't preach religion to me" or "Oh save your
> > > > preaching for the next guy". It also occurred to me that in the
midst of
> > > > this family's encounter, had they recognized that that day's event
is
> > > > tomorrow's testimony in the making? If they hadn't, they will from
here
> > > > out, based on the four points that accompanied this testimony. If
they
> > > went
> > > > in that situation with the four points he made, that of focusing on
> > > Jesus,
> > > > knowing who God is, knowing who they were in God, and trusting god,
then
> > > > they had to be conscious of what they were living was a testimony in
the
> > > > making.
> > > >
> > > > This realization helps give a new sense of expectation in my life.
An
> > > > expectation to recognize that what we are living now, this minute,
is
> >part
> > > > of some sort of testimony in the future to how God has worked in our
> >life,
> > > > and if it is not, than am I really living life with God as center?
Have
> >I
> > > > gotten side tracked to where I do not recognize or have expectations
of
> > > his
> > > > hand in my life? Testimonies do not have to be a dramatically wowing
of
> > > > awesome proportions but it may well be walking away from a
conversation
> > > > knowing God gave you the words to say to help that person better
know
> >God,
> > > > or a step closer to knowing him for the first time. It could be
standing
> > > in
> > > > the midst of financial difficulties and seeing provision coming in,
or
> >it
> > > > could be standing in front of hundreds or thousands of people citing
how
> > > > God spared your life miraculously while doing his work and having
many
> >of
> > > > those want that loving God in their life and accept him at that
time.
> >And
> > > > when we cannot seem to find a testimony complete or having reached
a
> > > > solution, we certainly can stand with expectation knowing that what
we
> > > are
> > > > living now is tomorrows testimony, and that hope will cause us to
look
> > > > harder for God in a situation, to listen closer for his voice.
> > > >
> > > > I know this man's points were focus on Christ, know who God is, know
who
> >I
> > > > am in God, and trust in God, but what I remember hearing most
in-between
> > > > his words, in the pauses of his testimony, is the summation "today's
> > > events
> > > > are tomorrows testimonies".
> > > >
> > > > Brad
> > >
|
