Old-new Tech

My family is getting ready for a garage sale, and we have this really old toshiba laptop that we were debating putting up for sale (as if anyone would actually want to buy it). I pulled the hard drive out of the laptop, and then got thinking.

The Toshiba 8mb drive on the right is at least 20 years old whereas the Western Digital on the left is less than a year. However, the new WD drive uses moving parts to achieve its 1.5TB capacity. That’s roughly 2,000,000 times the Toshiba’s capacity. Imagine 2 million of those little disks on the left… 

But, what I found very intersting, is that what is coming to replace the large capacity hard disk drive on the left is flash memory. The little 8MB drive here uses flash memory.

So, we essentially turned to more archaic technology as we look to improve the tech we have now. That old, humorously small (capacity) Toshiba disk that is so far outdated is essentially representing the technology that the newest, fastest smart phones, ultra-light laptops, digital cameras, and many other state-of-the-art devices now use.

 

Nothing new under the sun?

-Jacob

Let’s Start Doing Something Important

While in the process of completing the 30 Hour Famine for the second time, God has really laid it on my heart to ask for a lot from my friends, family, and neighbors. Here’s what I will be bold enough to ask of you;

I am asking for $20 from each person or family, or even group of friends, donated to help poverty, through World Vision. You can give less, but I really want you to try your hardest to give the full 20. I know it’s hard because this is really just another fundraiser, but you are the only person that can make this different. We are called to love and serve the poor .

“If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?”

-1 John 3:17

I pray that you will come to realize how much God loves you and how much He has blessed you with. Remember two things; first, God sent his son Jesus to save us poor and wretched sinners, and second, God has given us the opportunity to love others. From these two things we do and will continue to find unspeakable joy!

Love.

-Jacob

Here’s where you can donate.

http://support.worldvision.org/site/TR/30HourFamine/30HourFamine?px=1233898&pg=personal&fr_id=1610

Also, listen to this (1hr13min)

David Platt on Missions

From Lewis’s Last Interview

What is your view of the daily discipline of the Christian life — the need for taking time to be alone with God?

“We have our New Testament regimental orders upon the subject. I would take it for granted that everyone who becomes a Christian would undertake this practice. It is enjoined upon us by our Lord; and since they are his commands, I believe in following them. It is always just possible that Jesus Christ meant what he said when he told us to seek the secret place and to close the door.”

Please join me in praying that all followers of Jesus Christ will realize the importance of daily time with the Lord and that in Him we will find unspeakable joy. He is all we need, He is all we have, and He is all we will ever want.

 

-Jacob

I’ll tell you about today.

Rounding the home stretch slice of second semester, I have oodles and oodles of posts I could be writing. The expressed work of God these past months blots out the business. *illiterations illuminate this intricate yet inexpressibly idiotic initial itwerth.

If you can’t tell, I am in a fairly good mood. Quick summary of today; 

I got up early, spent some time praying and reading Hosea, then I did some homework–or more devos, really, and then went for a run. I had class which consisted worship practice and critique and study of Biblical work ethic. B&N Starbucks but didn’t get coffee. Picked up an Easter care package that consisted of french press and Caribou Mahogany whole beans. Dinner, then studying evangelism, then Insanities work out in an empty classroom, an online final, and then P90x ab ripper workout. In the words of some irrelevant pop artist, “I work out.” For Jesus.

But seriously, everything I did today should have or did relate to Jesus. I discipline my mind and body in order to bring glory to God. I can’t yet say that I am void of selfish intentions, but I am certainly becoming more and more intentional with honoring God in all I do. 

 

Because, I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, 

and in Jesus Christ, his only son, our Lord, who was conceived by

the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin, Mary, suffered under Pontious Pilate

was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. He ascended

into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From 

there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion

of saints, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.

Amen.

 

Sorry, if I forgot anything.

In Christ,

Jacob

 

The Conversation

Then Jesus said,

“If I could do this, 

will you let me friends in too?”

 

Then God said yes,

and Jesus did it.

Sustenance

Recently, I had a very moving worship experience in a small chapel setting. That night, I fervently prayed that God would break me of myself and my selfish, fleshly ambitions and desires. I felt like God was saying to me, “Why do you refuse to come to me when you’ve fallen down?”

John 5:39-40. Please look it up in your own Bible, then return to this post.

 

 

 

 

“Yet, you refuse to come to me to have life.” That night, I confessed to God that I did not go to him before I went to other things for fulfilment–whether for excitement, comfort, stress-relief, success, whatever. I’ve always relied on myself to fulfill myself. 

 

Now there’s a much greater problem than a simple fallacy here. I, myself, am sinful, born into sin and held a slave to my sin nature. But, enter Christ, and I am now a slave to righteousness, constantly in war with the sin nature that still holds my earthly self captive. 

So you see, when I go to myself for fulfillment, I go to a slave for help–a slave owned and ruled by SIN!

 

No more.

 

I prayed and asked God that I would realize He is all I need, all I want, all I have. I asked Him to take me to Himself by Himself because I can’t go there on my own. 

Good.

 

The next night, I was tired and hungry when I was sitting in campus church (after choir practice, mind you) and I honestly did not feel like worshiping. I just wanted to get some food and go to sleep. In this moment I learned to practice two very important things.

1. Worship, serve, and love God with your entirety–especially when you do not want to. It’s a love commitment; for better or for worse.

2. I learned to go to God first. 

I was questioning why God would lead me into such a moving and renovating worship experience the night before and then let me fall down the next night WHILE AT CHURCH. but then…

BAM! POW!

God was giving me the perfect opportunity to prove that I had been changed the night before. As soon as I realized that  it was during that worship service, when I was feeling down and out, that I needed to run to God. And so I did.

 

And here I am, one step greater and one step less.

Not I, but Christ.

-Jacob

Napolean Bonaparte on Jesus

I was reading Donald Miller’s Searching for God Knows What and I came across a quote from Napolean Bonaparte. It hit my brain not only because Napolean was a very powerful leader, but also because what he says makes so much sense.

~~~~~~~~~

“Napoleon expressed the following thoughts while he was exiled on the rock of St. Helena. There, the conqueror of civilized Europe had time to reflect on the measure of his accomplishments. He called Count Montholon to his side and asked him, “Can you tell me who Jesus Christ was?” The count declined to respond. Napoleon countered:

Well then, I will tell you. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne and I myself have founded great empires; but upon what did these creations of our genius depend? Upon force. Jesus alone founded His empire upon love, and to this very day millions will die for Him. . . . I think I understand something of human nature; and I tell you, all these were men, and I am a man; none else is like Him: Jesus Christ was more than a man. . . . I have inspired multitudes with such an enthusiastic devotion that they would have died for me . . . but to do this is was necessary that I should be visibly present with the electric influence of my looks, my words, of my voice. When I saw men and spoke to them, I lightened up the flame of self-devotion in their hearts. . . . Christ alone has succeeded in so raising the mind of man toward the unseen, that it becomes insensible to the barriers of time and space. Across a chasm of eighteen hundred years, Jesus Christ makes a demand which is beyond all others difficult to satisfy; He asks for that which a philosopher may often seek in vain at the hands of his friends, or a father of his children, or a bride of her spouse, or a man of his brother. He asks for the human heart; He will have it entirely to Himself. He demands it unconditionally; and forthwith His demand is granted. Wonderful! In defiance of time and space, the soul of man, with all its powers and faculties, becomes an annexation to the empire of Christ. All who sincerely believe in Him, experience that remarkable, supernatural love toward Him. This phenomenon is unaccountable; it is altogether beyond the scope of man’s creative powers. Time, the great destroyer, is powerless to extinguish this sacred flame; time can neither exhaust its strength nor put a limit to its range. This is it, which strikes me most; I have often thought of it. This it is which proves to me quite convincingly the Divinity of Jesus Christ.”

~~~~~~

(http://www.adherents.com/people/pn/Napoleon.html)

Tough Love

“Sometimes a real friend has to practice what we call “tough love.” This means that they love us to the point of risking the friendship in order to point out something in our life that we cannot see for ourselves. Isn’t that a true friend? One who is willing to say the tough tings to us? Sure, it’s difficult to take sometimes. It’s never easy to hear how you are disappointing or hurting your friend, but eventually, if you are honest with yourself, you come to see that your friend’s words are true and necessary.”

Ben Gutierrez, After Three

 

I’m sitting here…

I’m sitting here at my desk in room 115, Dorm 25-1, at Liberty University in Virginia. I have one day left before the semester ends–nothing big to study for or worry about.

I know I am supposed to write a post, but I don’t know what about. So after I finish this sentence, I will open my moleskine notebook and just pray that God reveals to me what I need to write and you need to hear.

__________

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiIwpJcQ34Q&feature=fvst

Come, let us return to the LORD.

He has torn us to pieces

but he will heal us;

He has injured us

but he will bind up our wounds.

After two days he will revive us;

on the third day he will restore us.

that we may live in his presence.

Let us acknowledge the LORD.

Let us press on to acknowledge him.

As surely as the sun rises, he will appear.

He will come to us like the winter rains,

like spring rains that water the earth.

Your love is like the morning mist,

like the early dew that disappears.

Therefore, I cut you in pieces with my prophets,

I killed you with the words of my mouth;

my judgements flashed like lightening upon you.

- – - -

For I desire mercy, not sacrifice,

and acknowledgement of God

rather than burnt offerings.

_____(Hosea 6)_____

~

1. You really don’t do anything, but yet, you do.

    It is God who acts in you to will and act (Phil. 2:13), but you still have some responsibility       to respond to him. I can’t explain this because I don’t know, but God does it for you. You just have to do it.

    “You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.” James 2:24

By grace through faith we are saved. Works… I don’t know how to answer this James verse.

But I do know for certain that you cannot know who God is and still maintain a lifeless, lukewarm, simple life. When you understand that fact that God is GOD, your life will be radically different. That’s why we strive to know God more and more.

    “Therefore, my dear friends, as yo have always obeyed–not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence–continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.

2. Anything you have not yet lost will truly be yours.

    Earthly possessions are God’s display of his love for us, but when we focus on the possessions instead of God, then his gift ruins us. The gifts are made for us to love the Giver. So accept God’s gifts, but don’t focus on them. 

    “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father IS NOT IN HIM.” 1 John 2:15

    “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God?” James 4:4

3. “Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons.” Hebrews 12:5

    “Consider it PURE JOY, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking ANYTHING.” James 1:2-4

4. God doesn’t want us to be here.

    I  just had this realization a few days ago. I was sitting in the courtyard behind Demoss, it was a beautiful sunny day, and I had just finished my flatbread sandwich from the Bistro. I was just sitting there, no one else to be seen, just marveling at God’s glory. Then the radio station’s outdoor speaker began playing “How He Loves” by DCB. Then I got this;

    God would much rather we be in heaven with Him, for eternity. But in order to uphold cosmic justice, and in order to make us free humans with real freewill, we must undergo this time of trials and testing her on earth. God also has a plan for us on earth and He wants that plan for us, but I am certain God wants us to escape the grasps of earth–there just isn’t any other way. The perseverance makes the reward so much greater too.

5. When you put God first–time, thoughts, desires–everything else just goes better.

    I had a few weeks in the middle of the semester where I had enough free time and enough perseverance to really spend some quality time with God. I got up early, did devos and then spent 30min. praying either in the chapel or the prayer garden. At night, I walked to the chapel and prayed for an hour every night. This was one of the best things I have ever done. After thanksgiving break when I had kind of dropped back a little bit, things just didn’t go very well. I’M TELLING YOU, YOU HAVE TO SPEND TIME ALONE WITH GOD.

6. Sometimes when you’re having a conversation with God, don’t talk. Just listen. Don’t think, don’t listen to music or read. Just sit there and be saved. Know the He is God.

7. If there is ANYTHING in you that does not worship, then there is nothing in you that worships very well.

    This one is from AW Tozer’s “Whatever happened to worship.” Now, realize that “worship” is not singing church music. “Worship” is LIFE itself. Whenever you are alive–you are worshiping something, whether it be yourself, the devil, your friends, or God. If you ever want to glorify God; if you ever want to love God; if you ever want to know God–then you have worship in EVERYTHING. Even your homework, exercise routines, diet, and speech.

    “Be very careful, then, how you live–not as unwise buy as wise, making the most of EVERY OPPORTUNITY, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is…Submit to one another our of reverence for Christ.” Ephesians 5:15-16, 21

    “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.” 1 Thessalonians 3:23

8. Serve Jesus Christ by serving others in everything.

    “And let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds.” Hebrews 10:24

    “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Philippians 2:3

    Jesus completely humiliated himself. He went from being as God in heaven, to being a human being. Think of the sheep and shepherd concept. Jesus left HEAVEN for EARTH, to became in likeness to sinful, ugly, evil, broken, dying man.

    Be ALL THINGS to ALL PEOPLE. Be who they need you to be. Don’t do what you want to do but rather, stop before you say or do anything, and think, “What do they need? What can I do right now that would make them smile?” Try it, *I promise it*

    “Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews, I became like a Jew. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I could save some.” 1 Corinthians 9:19-23

__________

Pray all the time. Set apart a specific time and place to spend time with God, without distractions, every day. Present your requests for God, but pray that your requests are what God wants. In everything you do, think of who God is and what Christ does for us.

As Oswald Chambers says, we see God’s love for us every day because of this–God shows us his love every day, every moment, all the time. This is present tense, God is doing this now, as we speak. He is demonstrating His love for us in this way;

Christ died for us.

“But God DEMONSTRATES (present tense) his own love for us in this:

While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

-

-

-

So I hope that does well to summarize

what I’ve been up to the past few months.

I hope and pray that you will see God

through me and that I am able to encourage

you through the Holy Spirit, because of Christ.

It’s not because of what we do, but

because of what Jesus already did.

-Jacob

The Law of Opposition

 I must learn to fight against and overcome the things that come against me, and in that way produce the balance of holiness.

Then it becomes a delight to meet opposition.

Jacob

(My Utmost for His Highest, December 4)