Monday, August 18, 2008

Are You Samurai?

"Samurai"
The word Samurai is derived from the classical Japanese verb saburau, meaning to serve or attend.


Greetings everyone! I wanted to check in with everyone and share how I am doing. As most of you know, I have started my Pastor's Ordination. It has been awhile since I have been to school, so balancing family, studying, and writing papers hastaken some adjusting.
I wanted to share with you a movie that Kim and I were watching; "The Last Samurai".It is an older movie, but has a great message. No, it is not just a guy movie :) yes, it has a lot of fighting scenes, but the journey of the main character; CaptainNathan Alredge is a person that we all might identify with.

The movie is set in the 1800's. Captain Nathan Aldredge is running from his past.He has done things that he is not proud of. He tries to hide his past in alcohol.Through a series of events he is captured by Samurai which means "To serve." His capture is a very dark time of self revelation.

Captain Aldredge soon finds his heart, a purpose, and a reason to fight and live again. There is much more to this movie, I did not want to ruin the movie if youhave not seen it. There are although a couple of thoughts that I had after watching it.

I could see myself in Captain Aldredge. There was a time in my life that I was notproud of. I had done things that I did not know how to get out of. Then Jesus gota hold of my heart, I found myself through Him, and a reason to fight.
I found a YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrxR24lUloY video on "The Last Samurai". If you look at the running time of this video clip, start at 1:16 to 2:51.

In this scene I see my own struggle, maybe you can too. Captain Aldredge is healingfrom a fight, and his body is broken. During this part of his journey a storm is raging, he is not looking for a fight, but the fight finds him. The enemy isruthless,and shows no mercy. Captain Aldredge never gives up the fight or his wooden sword(The Bible) even though the enemy tries to take it away from him. In fact "TheSamurai"believe that their sword is their spirit.

"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." - Hebrews 4:12

Is not that just like the enemy? You are at your lowest time, maybe you are brokenand healing, you are not looking for a fight, but the enemy does not play fair. He finds you and tries to steal your joy. When you are going though these trials in your life, you have to hang with every fiber of your being. Immerse yourself into the word of God, and He will see you through.

In closing, Captain Aldredge made a comment in his journal that stuck with me. Hewas describing "The Samurai" with this statement:

"They are an intriguing people, from the moment they wake they devote themselves to perfection of whatever they pursue, I have never seen such a discipline people."

What an amazing statement! Would it not be a testimony to Christ if people who didnot know us or Jesus, looked at our lives and made the same statement?

You might be thinking to yourselves, I do not want or can't be a monk or dedicatemyself to 24/7 study of the Bible. The great news is that you do not have to! RememberJesus' command in Luke?

"He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your souland with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself" - Luke 10:27

Devote yourself daily to those two commands, people will make that statement aboutyou.
So, do you see a little Samurai in you? If you are looking for a good movie night,grab the popcorn, and a copy of "The Last Samurai."
Have a blessed week In Christ. - Jim

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Doubting Thomas

Doubting Thomas

Yesterday, someone made a post about Doubting Thomas, and I meditated on it all last night, and here are a couple of thoughts.

First, I think there is a little "Thomas" in us all. I know many people who at one time or another demanded Jesus to give us proof that He exsists. You know how it goes...... Jesus, I know you love me, and I know you care, so why are you not doing this for me???? If you do not, You must be mean and uncaring. To me that is pretty much cornering Jesus telling Him to do this for you.

Second, if you remember Thomas was willing to die for Jesus, Jesus wanted to go into a country where passing could mean their lives (John 11:15-17) Thomas was very bold and spoke up. But, is that like all of us. When Jesus is close to our side, we are STRONG. But, when Jesus is quite, we freak out, maybe question where He is.

Third, when reading the Bible, always put yourself into the time and person first, then make a bridge. We have the Bible, and know the end of the story, they did not, they were living moment by moment.
Example; for centuries if you were a believing Jew, you knew that the prophets foretold of a coming Messiah. One to redeem them, crush the opposing Roman Empire. Herod told them he was god, but they knew/believed different.

Then, one day this Rabbi (An amazing teacher; maybe like Billy Graham of our time) came to you. You, a very common person, and this Rabbi told you He believed in YOU, and He want YOU to follow him. Just that fact that a Rabbi asked you (not evening knowing it was THE MESSIAH) was an honor.
Thomas, left and became a discicple of this Rabbi. (Matt. 10:2-4) During these amazing 3 years of being with this Rabbi, he came to believe...... he KNEW this was the Messiah! People are healed, rasied from the dead, He speaks like no-one he has ever heard. Finally, towards the end of the 3 years, He (Jesus) make His triumphal entry into Jerusalem on a donkey (Stand for royality) Thomas, must have thought....... THIS IS IT..... finally after centuries, I am going to witness the prophecy......... THE MESSIAH HAS COME TO REDEEM US!

Sadly, to see his Messiah taken, and killed the most brutal death.... I think if I were any of the disciples, I would be confused, hurt, scared, I just wasted 3 years of my life, where/what do I do now? So, for Thomas to want to see the scars......... would not you, maybe?

God Bless Jim
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My Drug Addiction

Scripture
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven
A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot
A time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build
A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance
A time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain
A time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away
A time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak
A time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. - Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

My Drug Addiction
Yes, I was very addicted to Oxycotin. (Medics compare Oxy to a high grade Heroin,and the effects are much the same. The drug is used for chronic long term pain).Let me explain my story a little further for those of you that do not know it.In 2005 I was diagnosed with a muscle wasting disease. The byproduct of this diseasewas amazing pain. When the disease first hit and I was confused and scared, I rememberworking the late shift, coming home, crying in the car ride home. Finally parkingthe car, pulling myself out, and crawling, literally crawling, up the stairs to park myself on the couch to curl up in my wife's arms.


Due to this extreme pain my doctors started to prescribe pain killers. If you arefamiliar with pain killers, your body will develop a tolerance to the current levelso you have to keep on upping and upping the level. My current level in July of this year, was 240 mgs of Oxycotin. This was equivalent to a whopping 48 Percocets a DAY!

The first of July, I felt God telling me that I did not need these painkillers, and that for what He had planned for me, these were going to get in the way. So,I started the journey to getting off the Oxys. I have to tell you, this is/was the hardest thing that I have ever done!

The first week It felt like I had spiders crawling inside my body and head. I couldnot sit still, I was nauseous, my muscles ached, could not sleep unless I had mytapered amount of the drug, I said to myself "This is what hell must be like." During the last part of my taper it felt like I had the WORST flu ever. It hurt just to take a breath. My heart felt like I just drank 3 large Monsters energy drinks.I thought my heart was going to pop out of my chest, and I still could not sleep.But, I beat it, I took my last Oxy 3 days ago, I am not done with my withdrawals,but every minute, hour, and day I am getting better.

You might be asking "Why are you telling me this?" Well, let me tell you :) WhenI was going through this season, I cried out to God, and yelled, Take this away from me." I know that you can, and I know that you love me, so please make me better!But, as I said this, I thought to myself that if every time I cry out to God, andHe showed up and granted every cry, He would not be GOD, he would be some cosmicgenie. Plus, if He granted every wish that we had, this would not be a fallen earth,it would be heaven, as we would want to make every situation perfect for us.
Take a moment to read the scripture on the left, this was written by King Solomon,by God's grace, the wisest man that ever lived. King Solomon says that there areseasons for everything; a time to heal, a time to weep, and a time to laugh. You ARE going to go though all these seasons in your life, it is a fact of being human,and engaging with others.


The happy seasons are wonderful. But, what about the weeping and healing? What isyour posture? Do you try and get out of the situation as soon as you can? Do youcry to God, and when He doesn't answer, you label God mean and uncaring?


God KNOWS you are there, and cares about you so much. He is allowing you to go throughthis season for some purpose that you may not know until much later in life. So,instead of focusing on "GET ME OUT OF HERE" focus on Christ, and His love, He isstill there. Maybe, He will show you a new side of you, one you never knew you had,a new strength.


I can tell you that the withdrawal off Oxy's was the hardest thing I have done, and I am still not done yet. BUT, since going through that season, I have a new heart for people that are going through a similar season. And I KNOW that God isgoing to place people in my life that I can help and love. :)
Have a great week in Jesus! - Jim

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