From Above!
An Online Ministry for the Men of CLF
When we venture into the world to earn a living, we all face our own unique set of challenges. As you can see, my office has a great view! But some days are more challenging than others. Long days away from home, weekly hotel stays, continuous jetlag and stress are some of the challenges we face in the travel industry. As men, sometimes our life is not aligning with our testimony...what people see on the outside is far from the feelings and emotions we are experiencing on the inside...
Monday, September 11, 2006
Remembering...
Most of us can probably clearly recall the place and activity we were involved in when the first trade tower was hit by an American Airlines 767 five years ago today. I was in Montreal, Quebec...and there I remained for six days with frightened crew and a concerned family awaiting in Wisconsin. But most of our stories don't compare to the stories from New York city, Washington DC, and Pennsylvania. Then came the stories from the Middle East where our service men and woman went to serve as protection for our lives and our interests. In these last five years, so much suffering has come to light, that words seem vain when we try to describe the experiences of the innocent people who became the targets of radical ideology and hate. So how can we live with the injustices of a sinful world and remain focused on the love and grace of God? How is it we can find ourselves living affected by the sin sewage of humanity and fighting with the frustrations our own failures and yet, be filled with hope and joy? This is not a new problem nor has the answer changed...
Paul said in Romans 7:24 " Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life dominated by sin?" He goes on to say that the answer has only one solution, and it is of Divine strength and origin.." Thank God" he exclaims "the answer is in Jesus Christ..." Vs 25.
We who know God, know well that only He can forgive, heal and remove the seed of sin we so rebelliously plant. Even in our rebellion, He uses the works of hate and the devil with all his warring efforts as a training tool for our character.
We all face common sufferings ..but with a God perspective, they have can have a purpose that goes beyond ourselves...He makes all the difference!
There is a Divine mystery in suffering. It has a strange and supernatural power in it, which has never been understood by human reason. Never has greater strength of character or depth of wisdom been revealed, than through those who have suffered much. When the suffering soul reaches an inner calm, when it can inwardly smile at it's own sufferings and failure, when it stops the endless quest for deliverance and leans in to trust without concern, then suffering has achieved a perfecting work...
Patience has replaced worry, love has replaced anger, humility has replaced prideful thoughts and foolish words, and a new ministry is created ...one that can bless the heart of the hurting from a life of spiritual reality and compassion. In this place we are at rest under the hand of God, the faculties of the mind and heart are subdued, and the mind grows quiet...the heart is at peace with God's directives and choice is not as important as God's purposes. In this place of self death nothing can offend or hurt us because we are dead to the flesh and alive in Christ. In this place, the good, the bad, the past, and the present all work together for His perfect good in our lives. This is the life of the conquered soul...the one that has lost it's own strength, it's own wisdom, it's own plans, it's own desires and has replaced it with the peace of Christ. Shall we fight the sufferings of this life of the flesh, or embrace them as James instructs us . "Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy"?
Keep on keep'in on... He's on our side!
Paul said in Romans 7:24 " Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life dominated by sin?" He goes on to say that the answer has only one solution, and it is of Divine strength and origin.." Thank God" he exclaims "the answer is in Jesus Christ..." Vs 25.
We who know God, know well that only He can forgive, heal and remove the seed of sin we so rebelliously plant. Even in our rebellion, He uses the works of hate and the devil with all his warring efforts as a training tool for our character.
We all face common sufferings ..but with a God perspective, they have can have a purpose that goes beyond ourselves...He makes all the difference!
There is a Divine mystery in suffering. It has a strange and supernatural power in it, which has never been understood by human reason. Never has greater strength of character or depth of wisdom been revealed, than through those who have suffered much. When the suffering soul reaches an inner calm, when it can inwardly smile at it's own sufferings and failure, when it stops the endless quest for deliverance and leans in to trust without concern, then suffering has achieved a perfecting work...
Patience has replaced worry, love has replaced anger, humility has replaced prideful thoughts and foolish words, and a new ministry is created ...one that can bless the heart of the hurting from a life of spiritual reality and compassion. In this place we are at rest under the hand of God, the faculties of the mind and heart are subdued, and the mind grows quiet...the heart is at peace with God's directives and choice is not as important as God's purposes. In this place of self death nothing can offend or hurt us because we are dead to the flesh and alive in Christ. In this place, the good, the bad, the past, and the present all work together for His perfect good in our lives. This is the life of the conquered soul...the one that has lost it's own strength, it's own wisdom, it's own plans, it's own desires and has replaced it with the peace of Christ. Shall we fight the sufferings of this life of the flesh, or embrace them as James instructs us . "Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy"?
Keep on keep'in on... He's on our side!
