040312
I remember trying to watch an episode of Green Beret Mike Hawke (Jovic you're right it is pretty funny) and his reporter wife (Mrs. Hawke. Groan.) trying to survive after being dropped off in the middle of nowhere. It brings an interesting twist to the variety of survival shows that have sprung up. I remember thinking, you may not always be caught in the middle of nowhere alone. Sometimes your wife just happens to be with you and then it becomes a whole new ball game. Or maybe it's the same thing only a whole lot more difficult.
James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus at one point, with a request: "we want to be seated at right beside you, one to the left and the other to the right," to which Jesus replied promptly, "you don't know what you're asking; are you willing to suffer as much as I will be suffering?"
When they said 'yes' Jesus said, (and this is my interpretation - the bible according to Brent) "tell you honestly, it isn't for me to say. That decision is for my Father to make."
What He said after this struck me this afternoon:
But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many. (Mark 10:42-45 NKJV)
I felt the way I would think that many people Mrs. Hawke would feel when on those little survival trips: squeamish. This was after I was brought to thinking about how I was trying to be a 'servant of all' myself.
I felt like I could do so much better in the servant department, especially in the aspect of attitude. I felt quite humbled as I was discussing this with Paola, to whom I said straight up: "Ang arte ko, babe..." I find myself thinking about myself when being asked to help out with something.
Update: 040412
This vise that keeps us imprisoned and so self-conscious is condemnation, condemnation that we bring upon ourselves when we focus on doing things on our own strength. One beautiful thing that I learned today was that believers - no, more than believers - FOLLOWERS of Jesus Christ should always keep their emotions in check, because how we control our emotions reflects how much we trust in the Lord in all things. We can trust in the Lord only because we believe that Jesus Christ died for us, effectively taking our sin away and deeming us worthy to enter in the presence of the Father. When we focus on the Lord's sovereignty over all, we have self-control in peace, and peace in self-control... By this we can do all things through Christ.
This revelation is a work in progress and peeling layer after layer gives such comfort to my soul... We cannot operate if we keep our eyes on ourselves. We need to keep our eyes on Jesus Christ, our heart tamed by the Word... We cannot be servants of all until we place our trust in the Man who did it first.
God is worthy of all our praise.
Shared in http://jibee.blogspot.com/. יהוה bless you!
I remember trying to watch an episode of Green Beret Mike Hawke (Jovic you're right it is pretty funny) and his reporter wife (Mrs. Hawke. Groan.) trying to survive after being dropped off in the middle of nowhere. It brings an interesting twist to the variety of survival shows that have sprung up. I remember thinking, you may not always be caught in the middle of nowhere alone. Sometimes your wife just happens to be with you and then it becomes a whole new ball game. Or maybe it's the same thing only a whole lot more difficult.
James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus at one point, with a request: "we want to be seated at right beside you, one to the left and the other to the right," to which Jesus replied promptly, "you don't know what you're asking; are you willing to suffer as much as I will be suffering?"
When they said 'yes' Jesus said, (and this is my interpretation - the bible according to Brent) "tell you honestly, it isn't for me to say. That decision is for my Father to make."
What He said after this struck me this afternoon:
But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many. (Mark 10:42-45 NKJV)
I felt the way I would think that many people Mrs. Hawke would feel when on those little survival trips: squeamish. This was after I was brought to thinking about how I was trying to be a 'servant of all' myself.
I felt like I could do so much better in the servant department, especially in the aspect of attitude. I felt quite humbled as I was discussing this with Paola, to whom I said straight up: "Ang arte ko, babe..." I find myself thinking about myself when being asked to help out with something.
Update: 040412
This vise that keeps us imprisoned and so self-conscious is condemnation, condemnation that we bring upon ourselves when we focus on doing things on our own strength. One beautiful thing that I learned today was that believers - no, more than believers - FOLLOWERS of Jesus Christ should always keep their emotions in check, because how we control our emotions reflects how much we trust in the Lord in all things. We can trust in the Lord only because we believe that Jesus Christ died for us, effectively taking our sin away and deeming us worthy to enter in the presence of the Father. When we focus on the Lord's sovereignty over all, we have self-control in peace, and peace in self-control... By this we can do all things through Christ.
This revelation is a work in progress and peeling layer after layer gives such comfort to my soul... We cannot operate if we keep our eyes on ourselves. We need to keep our eyes on Jesus Christ, our heart tamed by the Word... We cannot be servants of all until we place our trust in the Man who did it first.
God is worthy of all our praise.
Shared in http://jibee.blogspot.com/. יהוה bless you!