Update for Week of Sept. 8th

Greetings! I'm coming to you this evening from one of my favorite places in the world...the library! Saint Cloud State University's library to be specific. A friend of mine showed me a username and password that will work continously, otherwise the guest accounts on their computers sign you off every ten minutes. So, thanks to Mikiyas, I am able to blog this evening.

"Why wouldn't you simply blog from the comfort of your own living room," you ask? Well, as of right now, I have no television or internet at my apartment. Besides my cell phone, I am cut off from the outside world. But, after sitting in front of a computer for eight hours a day, I would rather go home and do something else besides be on the internet. These days I pass the time with some guitar practice and a LOT of reading. Currently I am reading the Gospel of John, the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah, Frank Damazaio's "The Making of A Leader", "Measuring Up:The Business Case for GIS", and E.M. Bounds' "The Neccessity of Prayer." From time to time i will indulge myself in a novel as well; last Friday night I read C.S. Lewis' "The Great Divorce" cover to cover. Here's a small nugget from Bounds: "Prayer is the task and duty of each recurring day - daily prayer for daily needs. As every day demands its bread, so every day demands prayer. No amount of praying, done today, will suffice for tomorrow's praying." How true when we come to view prayer as daily contact, communication, and conversation with a living God!

Another fruitful endeavor as of late has been the study of the Bible; not just devotions. 2 Timothy 2:15 in the Amplified Bible reads, "Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth." Now Bible study alone is certainly no substitute for the anointing of the Holy Spirit, but we can clearly see from the Scripture in Timothy that we must be students of the word. Just as a soldier must be able to properly wield his weapon, even so we, under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, must properly use the word of God, for it is the sword of the Spirit! Another interesting application - that phrase rightly divide is used to picture a father or a steward who slices bread and distributes it as needed among his children or his household. We also must learn to rightly divide the bread (God's Word) and distribute it or apply it as needed to those around us in the church and in the world.

Speaking of the world, has anyone else noticed how deaf and blind the world around us seems to be to the times we live in? Every day reading or listening to the global news is like reading or listenig to a commentary on Biblical prophecy. It is truly amazing to watch the nations and events of the world move all the pieces into place. Jesus said this in regards to watching for His return, "From the fig tree learn this lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that He is near, even at the gates (or at the door)." He is coming like a "thief in the night" for all without ears to hear and eyes to see, but for those with ears to hear and eyes to see, this is one amazing time to be living!

There's a certain tension (i don't mean stress) involved with living in a time when all your plans and how you imagine life will be, the "status quo" if you will, is always on the brink of unraveling. It's in that tension, however, that we can learn to trust God and have our life so joined with Him and in Him that we're not disappointed that all our plans don't pan out, we're not fearful of the future, and we're able to serve a world around us who are freaking out. The people of God are like those who see a storm coming in the distance and prepare ahead of time, blessing those around us who are ill-prepared physically, emotionally, spiritually.

Well, I suppose that's enough blogging for one evening. I hope to perhaps write a blog update like this every week or so.