Interesting thoughts....

2006-08-25 3:52:08 pm
Just something God has been teaching me lately...
"For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men condemned to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. We are fools for Christ sake, but you are prudent in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are distinguished, but we are without honor. To this present hourwe are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless; we toil working with our own hands; when we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure; when we are slandered we try to concilate; we have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now." (1 Corinthians 9:13) (Please read whole chapter for context) Why do we (I) desire this? For some reason we seem to thrive off of the hard times or difficult situations. I desire the challenge, the test, the refining. I cannot immagine living a "normal", "typical" American life. The church seems to thrive under persecution. Maybe thats what Christians need these days. It sickens me when I hear people claim to be Christians, yet they have no clue who God even is. They never read the Word, and they live like the rest of the world, exemplifying a so called "CHristian life style". Can i just say thats crap. If someone is going to claim be to a follower of Jesus Christ, they ought to live like it. "You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God."
It is so easy for us to control our lives, and in our flesh live in the safety of our own control. We make our plans, and why is it that they never seem to fall through? We plot out our future, yet we have no clue what the future brings. God has really taught me alot about this...read this carefully... "Come now, you who say, "Today or tommorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit." Yet you do not even know what your life will be like tommorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, "if the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that." But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; and all such boasting is evil. Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin." James 4:13-17 This was really convicting and revolutionary for me. I would always make my plans and run with ideas of mine without fervent prayer, but God is in control...not me.
As an encouragement ... "Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, "You shall be Holy, for I am Holy." "
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Things at the orphanage are going well. We had our meeting and it is official... I am Racheal Roberts... medecine woman. ;) In the mornings im still taking out the little ones and the special needs children. They are so much fun. We (Tammy, Mariam and I) are starting to get to work on Christmas stuff for the kids. Sounds early doesnt it, but believe you me we we probubly just make it. We have to measure all 500 kids, take pictures of them, and have each of them make christmas cards for their sponsors. Its going to be a big task, but so much fun. Yesterday it was discovered that I know computers well, and i spent all day in the computer lab refiguring every computer. lol. It was fun. And tonight i get to build Katchas computer, which I am really excited about. I really love that stuff. I know, I am a nerd. :) We're trying to think of extra curricular activitie we can do with the kids and one of our ideas is to give some of the girls hair wraps. ( you know with string and beads) Im teaching Tammy and Mariam how to make them so we can all do it a the same time. We're also trying to get some girls together for a crochet class, but we cannot start that until we figure out the Christmas card schedule. Ok, so your going to laugh at me... remember in an earlierpost how i mentioned the machine guns going off at night along with the shot guns??? Well yesterday I was in my room all afternoon because i had really bad stomach pains and i heard the machine guns again...i thought to myself, surely if machine guns were going off everyone would be screaming...so i sat a listened and looked, and to my utter amazement/emmbarrasment i realized the it was my ceiling fan. lol. I mean it is 20 feet above me and 20 feet away from me. Who would've thought? Tammy was laughing at me so hard, and i do admit i laughed at myself also. The shot guns are real, but not the machine guns... oh my goodness. Im ridiculous. ;) Well Yon, Yen and Linda all returned to Denmark and we are awaiting a volunteer next month. Please pray for them as they return back home... for their safety and dedication to Christ.