On Being Holy and Not Overly So

If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new (II Corinthians 5:17).

Confession time. At various moments, this week included, the concept of being a "new creation" has not sunk in. Knowing the commandment to "be holy as [God is] holy" (Leviticus 11: 44,45; 19:2; 20:7; I Peter 1:16) to be serious and essential for the servant of God, I try and sometimes fail as a servant and child of God to be as His. Reading this week in Ecclesiastes during one of my lunch breaks, I stumbled across these words: "Do not be overly righteous, nor overly wise: why should you destroy yourself" (7:16)? Those are comlplex words. I was thinking, don't be good? But I have always been taught that the way of righteousness is better than the way of wickedness, I thought. And that is true. Lately, though, learning that grace is something none deserve, but receive freely as a gift, I have witnessed my quirky, desparate, atempts at being righteous. Ironically, the thought that none are righteous apart from the righteousness of Christ did not nourish my intentions.

Blessed be God and His ways, in that He still sustains me at work (everything is work for me these days it seems, which is quite the contrast from the childhood I have put behind me). The wisdom in the proverb to not be "overly righteous, not overly wise" is in line with the wisdom and commandment to be holy as God is holy. Because we should be holy as He is holy, we are not to be as holy as we might be if we really were God. The illusion of man's supremacy, or the ideal that man is progressing--a product of Humanism--and therefore getting better by our own accord, is a faulty one. Even as a Christian, I wander into that camp, or a variation of it.

A variation of the before mentioned which Christians are more likely to fall into would be the kind in need of admonishment of Eccesiastes 7:16. Much pain and failure and disapointment fall upon us with a horde of the devil's forces, who take much perverse glee from seeing us eat of the works of the flesh. When we wrap ourselves up tightly within the good intentions of charity, of service, of model living, the reality that we are still sinners has not been changed; and when we are reminded of this fact, and when we have set up camp back in bondage of works, our dream has been shattered. But the joy of the Lord is our strength. God told Abraham, "I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward" (Genesis 15: 1). How fulfilling His reward is! It is so vast, so complete, and so endless!

Our world now extends only so far, and our planet circles a star in a galaxy which has boundaries, in a gigantic universe of star systems and planets and other wonders within boundaries which may seem infinite but stop short of it. Nature and all that is in it will melt with a fervant heat in the Day of the Lord. The history of man will change from what it is now into a time when all of man's deeds and acts and feats will be known as bygone days. "Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells" (II Peter 3:13). That puts everything back into perspective.

It Is Well

Work continues at Tire Distribution Systems. But what else will God do in the times to come? O such glorious things! Vast and perfectly designed. I hope to record more in this blog in the times to come. If anyone reads this, please pray and do the will of our Savior Christ Jesus and pray that I would do so as well. I need to be more disciplined and steadfast in the plan and purpose of the Almighty God.

May His name preceed me.
May YAh, the LORD, be above me.
Amen.

Laying Down Pride, Holding a Hearing Ear

"'For as the sash clings to the waist of a man, so I have caused the whole house of Israel and the house of Judah to cling to ME,'" says the LORD, 'that they may become My people, for renown, for praise, and for glory; but they would not hear'" (Jeremiah 13:11).

My tired hands are throbbing, shooting countless feelings through the nerve endings to my brain; I'm happy to feel this way, and when I am completely worn down, usually, I am suseptable to rest--sleep. The same goes for my pride. When it is proven wrong circumstance after circumstance, usually, I will lay away my reluctance, my haughty or fearful attitude and be swept away by the brilliance of God's perfect wisdom.

He whispers loudly. Boldly He shows me His ways. As it happens to be during the work day, I am usually backed up with at least forty tires hanging on the line, in need of repair. And I tend to stress about them and the million others awaiting my attention. A week goes by, points out a co-worker, and you finally get to that one, or that one which must be rushed back to customer today. Rush is not my man Friday I will tell you that. Fast, unless it has two all beef paddies and loads of cheese and onions and pickles and a side of fries, is not my cup of tea. O LORD, I think aloud, muffled under the clamor and the rushing cyclone of the production plant, GIVE ME SPEED!

Patience was on the agenda before those 1,000,040 tires came along--then my prayer turned to Grand Turismo, Tour de Speedy Gonzales, tire repair. Patience is a lesson, not a "gimme" I have learned. And what correlation will this have to the verse I quoted above? I'm not sure; I'm tired. Pride, however, ruins us. We get to the point where we demand something from God, and when we finally realize how pathetic we have become when we lash out against Him for not giving to us the request we want, we (usually) understand that we weren't clinging to His will. We, in our stupified pride, have answered the door which temptation was knocking on a moment before, trampled with delightful lies which tickle our ears with "sweet nothings" until we, if only for a few moments, believe that we actually need this thing or that thing. Cling to the Rock.

"Hear and give ear; do not be proud, for the LORD has spoken. Give glory to the LORD your God before HE causes darkness, and before your feet stumble on the dark mountains, and while you are looking for light, He turns it into the shadow of death and makes it dense darkness. But if you will not hear it, my soul will weep in secret for your pride; my eyes will weep bitterly and run down with tears, because the LORD's flock has been taken captive" (Jeremiah 13:15-17).

Standing Fast

"Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage" (Galatians 5: 1 NKJV).

It's been two months since I started a new line of work--tire retreading. I repair tires, fixing the slashes and holes and tears and blisters and gouges and mumps and bumps and lumps. You understand the concept, I think. It's reapair work. And I am glad to say that I have attained one level of certification recently; this lets me go on to attain a higher certification, namely, the technician's certification. I am set to leave for Iowa in December (5-9) of this year. Much prayer is needed regarding this trip, one that ought to present the Lord first and foremost, and one which will propell me onto to praise Him once again for His care and direction in my life.

I've been aware of how weak I am, spiritually inhibited still by the flesh and it's conquests of the heart. Prayer must not cease, my precious readers. Lord, grant that I may not give into the flesh and it's faulty nature. For your many other children of light, my Savior, provide the evidence of the Spirit's strength in their mind and fuel them onward.

"...For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God" (1 Corinthians 2:10).

Some Scripture Currently Being Studied

Here are a few passages I am in or currently going back to in these days. The Lord is showing more and more of His Word when I commit my heart to learning. At times I am not apt to listen; it is at such silent times without to the Word when I feel most discouraged.

• Jeremiah 5:26-31
• Romans 8
• 1 & 2 Corinthians
• 2 Timothy
• 1 John
• James
• Hebrews

The passage in Jeremiah is very provoking to me, as the words give a similar feeling between the Isaelites and the Christians, the very ones who are in the church but also in the world, saved but growing fat from the filth of the world. The other Bible passages are spurring me on to greater awareness of the strength which was given to me by the Spirit (2 Timothy 1:7). Striving now and then myself, the ideologies of wealth, pleasure, the "I, Me, Mine" concept, some basic tenaments of selfishness are my foes. All Christians are contenders. BUT...

"No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier" (2 Timothy 2: 4).

We don't straddle the fence or fall back into a cove of isolation, but we must now be wearing out the tread on our boots in whimsy. Seek Him first!

O, Christian, Fight!

Again, I muster up the motivation to write. Life abounds with amazment: glory in the stronghold of songs of battle and the awe of God's immortal power. Below is all that I care to say here.

O, Christian, fight!
Fight with Truth,
The sharpest tool!
Fight with Love,
The bravest friend!
O, Christian, fight!

Para Cristo hoy
Y perpetuamente.
Para Ellos gloria
En cielos y tierra.
Critiano, viya con Cristo.

A Prayer for Strength: Words About Work and Living

Buildings tumble, bridges fall. Lord, keep me and my ways in Yours.
Place in my path fruit that produces patience, and patience which builds my faith,
And faith which yields not to man's corruption and guileness.
Father, as this sojourner persists every dawn and dusk,
May he be a soldier, a nightwatchman, readying himself in the Word
In order that he may be steadfast and worthy and unashamed of You.
"Trust in the Lord forever: for in YAH, the Lord, is everlasting strength,"
Indeed the prophet wrote, and indeed help me to draw courage,
Courage of the Spirit. God be my shield and my sword forever. Amen.

Time for me to saddle up and remember my goal, to run the race, to search out the matters of God, and to exemplify Him. I do not always remember these things and so I suffer amazingly for it; alas, Christ healed me and saved me, and for that I walk in comfort in that knowledge. Summer is close: it's on next month's agenda. I've realized how great of a job God did in creating Woman. This past week I've noticed, I suppose as I have always noticed, this, that they are beautiful creatures, made after man and in the image of God. With that last clause I must strengthen myself in prayer to keep my way pure and see these gals as delticate creations. Delicate, yes, but with a little karate action they can be quite lethal. Ah, so prayer continues!

Work will go on for me here in the Puget Sound, with Milgard, with no summer breaks or recess of the sort which includes dodge ball or monkey bars. At midnight we will actually close down the production lines in light of Memorial Day, and so with ours hats off we will commemorate the holiday by cleaning the factory until 6 AM.

Once I become more settled into my apartment I will take some time to write more often here, and to others by way of snail mail I will hopefully correspond with. I ought to get my coffee made and be on my way a few minutes, so here comes to the end of my entry.

"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weigh, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us" (Hebrews 12:1).

Beginning of The Move: Day 1 

The Bachelor Pad By God's Grace--I dwell in the top storey as the couple below live, well, below. Thank the Lord from whom all blessings flow. Now responsibility and life strides start (or multiply). 

Partial Shot of Living Room: I'm thinking of building a sitcom set, lease the place out without notice by the landlord or the numerous denizens of the Lone Ceder park, and hopefully bag a fortune through some big t.v. network like UPN or PAX. "Yeah, Mrs. Ahtakashowa, those men with the cameras are pest control agent, um, who also are looking for the next American Idol on the job." 

Bedroom--Lots of windows and views of the hills and the old neighbors. Purple-ish carpet, white stucco, and canister ceiling lights make up the niceties for this guy's room (as it also applies to most of the apartment). 

Stovenkitchen: Stove in Kitchen. (English is great!) 

Sorci's/Sumner, WA--Just snapped a photo of this cafe and deli when I came out of the Salvation Army this afternoon in between moving in to my apartment. I may have to try a slice of Italy soon. 

Christmas 2004: Renton, Washington. Pray for these two men, Grandpa Nesper, who is now needing a leg amputation to take away the gangrene that has developed in the recent months, and Grandpa Bowling, whose body is not well and whose mindset needs strengthening and motivation. Both men are diabetics.

Orting--Lively Hour at the Puyallup River. The sun finally broke through this afternoon, and fortunately there was some good lighting (most important element for any occasion or photo) from above. You can see the rocks glisten just a tad. The yellow Scott's Bloom adds some pazazz to the whole bit, I think. Funny, a plant which almost every one in the Pacific Northwest despises the most, next to maybe the Fox Glove or the Dandilion, even has a purpose in God's creation. Amazing! 

Water's Edge. Not a good picture to my taste's opinion, but it adds a je ne sequois to this group of photos nevertheless. (Oh, I always have to insert the only good French expression I know of into any event, conversation, or moment which lends itself to "a special quality".) 

Taking a Break. 

Simple Setting. Watched the river flow. 

ORTING--Old Dirt Road Along the River. I enjoyed this very serene and quiet walk. The cotton leaves of the cottonwood trees were dropping all around abundantly--looked a lot like snow. 

Ah, the stern face side of the law! It never wavers.