Reveration Blog
1/9/2003 ControllersSam walked from the studio into the sanctuary. The amplifier levels were set incorrectly and the sound in the room from the instruments was unbalanced. So he adjusted the levels on the soundboard and moved the amp volumes up to full power. He removed the old paper arrows taped to the board assigning each channel a specific level. Now the system sounded great. Sam was pleased he had helped the church.
10/3/2002 Knowing God II--Kaka and ApotheoOnce upon a time two young boys Apotheo and Popinjay lived in a small village near the foot of giant mountain. One day while the ten-year olds fished by a blue stream, a large carriage came down the road and stopped near them. A man climbed out and walked down to them.
“Have you any caught anything,” he asked. “No,” Popinjay answered. “Would you like to fish?” Apotheo asked him. “Why certainly!” So the small boy offered him his pole. 9/4/2002 0 Comments EmulationYou probably remember the story of Daniel in the lion’s den. This godly man invoked jealousy in the hearts of the administrators and princes in Babylon. They didn’t like it that he was a better leader, or the fact that the king was planning to put Daniel in charge of the entire empire. So, they set him up by appealing to the ego of King Darius. They convinced the king to sign a stupid law—a law that stated that people could only pray to the king for thirty days, or they would be thrown to the lions.
7/10/2002 FaintheartedMeditation
Isaiah 35:3,4--Strengthen the weak hands, steady the shaking knees! Say to the cowardly: “Be strong; do not fear! Here is your God; vengeance is coming. God’s retribution is coming; He will save you.” 5/29/2002 0 Comments SatanCerro de Pasco sits over 14,000 feet in elevation in the central Andes of Peru. It is a bleak place. Besides the lack of trees and barren terrain, the atmosphere around this mining town is oppressive. In the community where the engineers reside, a blue signboard welcomes the spirit recognized as lord of the mines. Pastor Marco, Felipe and two other young men of the church we visited, walked us around the central plaza one evening. They pointed out the many bars and discussed the rampant problems of alcoholism, adultery, prostitution, incest, animal sacrifices and demon-worship. They discussed the pride among the inhabitants—a “machoism” that scorns outsiders and keeps the many different churches from coming together as a united body.
3/27/2002 CapacityWhen we look at a glass to fill it we stop pouring before the water reaches the top of the cylinder. When we stand on the staircase and contemplate jumping (for those of us who have not yet attained full maturity), we only leap as far as we believe our legs are able to sustain the impact of landing without incurring injury. When we drive an automobile, we know what speeds to go to operate the vehicle safely. When given a task by God, we measure what we will do by what we determine is our capacity. And immediately we superimpose our notion of our capability upon our Creator.
1/12/2002 0 Comments LagomSilas took me to lunch at a Swedish restaurant in Gothenburg called Lagom. Lagom has no single English word that matches its meaning. Essentially, it translates “enough, sufficient, not too much or too little—just right”.
11/30/2001 0 Comments Strong and CourageousFujitsu closed its plant in Gresham. Enron announces it will declare bankruptcy. The Oregonian does not deliver much by the way of good news. It seems with each week more companies are laying off employees. Times are getting tougher. For every headline proclaiming bad news there are real lives effected, like David in Salem. In tears he grapples with the virtual elimination of his savings as stock once worth $89 a share is now 40 cents a share. Like Mike in Beaverton, he went in to work and the plant had closed down swiftly and unannounced. He returned home without a job.
7/28/2001 KoiMy youngest son Stephen, and I, went with some friends to a Koi/Goldfish show. It was the first time we’d ever attended anything like this. We were quite amazed. Koi come in a wide assortment of colors and shapes much like the dress of their human fans. It was obvious standing around the varied pools, that most of these people knew a great deal about carp. Here some facts I learned and lessons that jumped to mind:
3/22/2001 0 Comments FreedomJust because we live in a free country does not mean we have freedom. In fact there are many indicators that suggest that all kinds of cords entwine us. A graph of the stock market looks like some anchor tossed in water that only grows deeper. Wearing sweaters of worry, whose fortunes are tied to investments, face the chill of anxiety. Companies lay off employees to keep their profits. Lights go out from city to city across the state whose economy may be the sixth largest in the world, but who cannot create the energy to prevent brownouts. If our hopes are based on the strength of a nation our dreams will one day be nightmares. The prevalence of fear is a sure sign of the absence of freedom.
3/6/2001 BalancedKathleen and I ascended as the elevator began to shake noisily. The two women beside us discussed when the old box was going to fall, evidently used to its rattle. But as we walked into the office there on the eighth floor we noticed the building swaying. It was an eerie feeling. Less than 150 miles away, Olympia and Seattle were riding a major earthquake. Yet we were safe. The receptionist informed us that the building was constructed to bend a foot or more during quakes so as not to collapse. Thank God for good engineering.
7/17/2000 0 Comments TenacityHave you ever observed children competing in sports? I think one of the most hilarious heartwarming sights is watching boys and girls on a soccer field. Usually one or two kids understand the game and are competitive. They typically score the goals or perform heroically on defense. Meanwhile, the rest of the players sort of meander around as a herd not really sure what to do, not overly motivated but having fun.
7/7/2000 0 Comments NemesisBefore I go to bed I let the dogs out to do their thing. A most amusing pattern has developed. Dusty, our Labrador Retriever runs around the perimeter of the back yard and grunts—a well refined canine message! He knows if he barks I’ll get mad at him for waking our great neighbors. So he’s modified his approach to accomplish his objective—scare the whiskers off the cats next store and forewarn the raccoons that it’s a good time to vacate. It doesn’t matter if an active heartbeat is anywhere near, every night he’s going to run down the fence line with his hair at attention while his lungs expel a guttural warning. I happen to know it’s all show—but to the surrounding creatures he is their nemesis. If it were not for the fence they would be in trouble.
2/21/2000 0 Comments HealingMeditation
Matthew 8:2,3--Right away a man with a serious skin disease came up and knelt before Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Reaching out His hand He touched him, saying, “I am willing; be made clean.” Immediately his disease was healed. 12/28/1999 0 Comments JoyStephen blows fiercely against the candles on his cake. But try as he may, those flames will not die. He is the victim of trickery and everyone howls with merriment. There is a wonderful lesson on top all that delicious frosting.
So often as Christians we wear our joy like normal candles. At the slightest breeze of adversity we find our light snuffed. It is much easier to be critical and whine than it is to rest in the certainty of Christ. Joy is not defined by the absence of wind or rain or by the presence of paradise. It is not conceived under the banner of pleasure. True joy cannot be formed by what is already in essence tainted. For joy to be complete it must be founded in the only thing that is perfect—God! 11/24/1999 0 Comments JudgmentJonathan Justice is elected Mayor of Reckless City. Immediately upon assumption of office he determines to instill law and order. He fires the corrupt police chief and sacks the city administrator. He appoints a special commission to go after organized crime bosses. His new district attorney is armed with the full cooperation of municipal government to nab criminals with effective passion. A weary city sighs in relief.
8/2/1999 0 Comments SafeguardIt’s hard to sleep at night with the realization that you may wake up with your house tumbling into the ocean. Such is the case of many Oregonian coast dwellers watching in apprehension each winter as Pacific waves continue to steadily devour beach and sand dune. The importunate cries of desperate homeowners have reached lawmakers who must decide whether to allow the emplacement of huge boulders that would form a wall against the water.
7/14/1999 0 Comments LimitationsHe rolled up to the sidelines in a wheelchair and I couldn’t help but wonder what thoughts crisscrossed his mind. Soccer is not a game for the lame. Yet he came out to watch perhaps wistfully at what he could no longer do, or at peace—able still to enjoy an event in which his friends were engaged. He reminded me of Bryan, my 12-year-old hero.
6/21/1999 0 Comments ReverenceReveration means reverent-adoration. It is a word I created after studying one of the most overlooked major themes of Scripture—the fear of God. If love for God is food than reverence for Him is water. We need both to nourish our relationship. Love devoid of respect is emotionally unstable causing people to perceive God as some sort of cosmic Genie. Respect without love is mechanically rigid such that people approach God from a sense of duty, concerned with failing, convinced that He is a harsh Judge.
5/27/1999 0 Comments FatigueThere is weariness in the kingdom of God that should evoke more than yawns. Many of God’s servants have lost their energy. Mornings of zest have become dreary sunrises. Bitterness saps the strength of the bewildered saints who feel God has abandoned them. Depression steals the first love that made spiritual life so potent. The power of God that once flowed so smoothly has been shut off at the plant of fatigue.
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Photo from Rachel Maxey Miles