Friday, October 08, 2004

Closer than you think!

I am still soaked with the Holy Spirit of God after three days at the Zoe conference last week. It is exactly a week ago today! I have been singing Zoe songs: Blessed Be Your Name, Blessed Jesus, Come Ye Sinners, Poor And Needy, Forever, and others. It is a sure blessing from God and He has filled my soul with His goodness! And guess what!? I am already hungry for Zoe '05!

Last night, I took the time to get some R&R after a long day in the open. My parents are here which is a great help. After I finally sat down, I tuned to channel 9 (CBS) to watch "Survivor Vanuatu". Yes, I watch "tv", but very seldom! : ) They introduced us to a game called, "Memory Game" where you have to remove one cone then the other and if it doesn't match, memorize the location of the items. What's the reward? They get a Vanuatu tribesman experienced in cooking, building, and with the knowledge of the jungle. He will teach them how to live, find food (how to fish), build better shelters and bedding and many more. The women's group won the challenge and got the tribesman.

Before they won the tribesman for the day, they were desperate for food, their shelter was horrible, they didn't know how to catch a fish and all they lived on was coconut hanging above their heads. The Vanuatu tribesman arrived in his canoe and walked past the "welcoming committee" straight to work. The ladies followed him around. First, he climbed the palm tree to retrieve bundles of coconuts. He chopped them at the top three times with his bare hands and the top came off like it has a plastic lid! He moved into the jungle (it's actually their backyard) and pulled out some green leaves. The ladies were astonished that it looks like romaine lettuce and tasted it. Then he pulled out a brown stem from the ground and chopped it up. Under the stem is one delicious sugar cane. They looked like they were in heaven when they ate them! Then the rest is history! The tribesman taught them all they need to know and all along the ladies did NOT KNOW they had a supermarket in their backyard! Then men still do not know the secret of survival!

This reminds me of God in many ways. We often overlook many great possibilities. We overlook great potential. We're looking in the wrong places when it is right under our noses, or even your backyard. People think God is so distant that He hardly have time for us. We're looking for His blessings but gave up when the blessings were right next to you. Sometimes, we press ourselves so hard hoping to overcome a barrier. But God feels that it is not the right thing to do. He stops you right there, frustrates you in hope that you will open your eyes and see your "backyard" which is full of His blessings.

We think that the time of judgment is a long way off. But believe it or not, it's the opposite. Our earthly mind think this way but the spiritual mind thinks the other. Jesus warned us in the book of Matthew that the time is near, "The kingdom of heaven is near." (Mt. 10:7). "Near" can be your death due to natural causes or accidents. Many of us are like these "Survivor" group overlooking great potentials. I must assure you that you and I, together, have great potentials to be with God in heaven. One of us may look other ways to arrive where God is. But I, personally, prefer to depend on a "Heavenly tribesman" that is Jesus. He is the one that KNOWS THE WAY according to John 14:6: "I AM the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

Now, my question is, if you're desperate for answers in how to live a Christ-like life, what would you do? Depend on your own wisdom to figure out a way or depend on the "Heavenly tribesman" Jesus Christ?

Father, I thank You that we have Your Son as our guide through this world. Our earthly mind is so limited that we do not know our way around here. We're blessed to have Your Son in our life and we have faith in Him that He will provide us with the necessities in life through our prayer and faithfulness and He will lead us home to You. I must say that I am proud to have Jesus as my tribesman to show the Way! In Jesus' Name, Amen!

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