This is amazing. It doesn’t have anything to do with God–other than the fact that God created us with HUGE potential, which this kind of stuff reflects.
Filmed over the period of a few months in and around Edinburgh by Dave Sowerby, this video of Inspired Bicycles team rider Danny MacAskill (more info at www.dannymacaskill.com) features probably the best collection of street/street trials riding ever seen. There’s some huge riding, but also some of the most technically difficult and imaginative lines you will ever see. Without a doubt, this video pushes the envelope of what is perceived as possible on a trials bike.
Credit to Band of Horses for their epic song ‘The Funeral.’ You can find out more about the band and their music at www.bandofhorses.com or you can buy the featured song from itunes here: http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects…
Tags: Bikes, Danny MacAskill
”Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]” John 14:27 (Amplified Bible)
This peace is what God wills—not merely for the soul or for the human race, but for his whole creation. The disciples Jesus spoke these words to needed peace! And so do each of us.
The peace that Christ gives is not what we can get from the world. The world’s peace is shallow, unsatisfying, and temporary; it depends mostly on circumstance. But Christ’s peace rests deep in the heart, is always satisfying, and can reside in us forever. The world offers peace through outward means; Christ gives peace that dwells in the heart—it remains in spite of our circumstances.
Jesus told us that the enemy of our soul comes to steal, kill and destroy (Jn 10:10). We should not let the provisions God has for us be stolen from us. God’s peace is available. It’s a gift from God. And it is for you, if you are a follower of Christ.
As with all God’s provisions, we must study and meditate on God’s word to fully appropriate them. Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (Jn 16:33). We need to meditate on God’s word and let them become our focus to fully walk in all the peace Christ has for us. How much time do you spend contemplating God’s word?
What has your focus been on lately—family, finances, the economy, or politics? None of these are bad things, but if they displace our relationship with God—who should be first place in our lives—they can keep us from experiencing the peace God has for us. And when we are residing in the peace we have from God we are able to handle all the other areas of life in a more balanced, proper manner.
We can also meditate on God’s promises and claim them for our own. One of his promises says, “The Lord will give strength to His people; The Lord will bless His people with peace” (Ps 29:11). What does that mean to you? Who are “his people”? If you are one of them what can you look forward to receiving?
Chew on the verses above and ask God how they apply to your life.
I’m going to be looking into some of the provisions we have from God. I may not be posting every day, but I will eventually be writing some of my thoughts. Be sure and post some of yours in the comments.
One of the most memorable stories I have heard to illustrate God’s provision is about a man who came to America years ago. This was before they had plane travel and people had to cross the ocean in ships.
This man was what you would call a peasant. He was a poor man from a poor family. As he looked at his life he knew he would never have much opportunity to change his condition in his country, and he had heard about the glorious opportunities in America. Since he didn’t have a wife or children he thought he ought to try to get to America while he was young.
He checked for the cost of the ticket and began to save. He had to work for several years, scrimping and saving to get the amount he needed. He didn’t want to wait until he had the money to be able to buy food on the ship. But he set aside enough money to buy some bread and cheese to take with him.
The day finally arrived when he would be sailing to America. He boarded the ship and found his cabin. Then he went out to watch as the ship pulled out of port. It was an exciting time. But as he strolled around the ship he saw some of the people getting ready to eat. He looked at the luscious banquet tables with longing. If only he had saved enough money to be able to enjoy that food.
Knowing that it was going to be unbearable to watch these people eating when he only had bread and cheese, he decided to spend the trip staying in his cabin. He carefully portioned out the food he brought to last the length of the trip and waited for the time he would be in his new country.
His bread got stale, and he ended up running out a few days before the ship arrived. But he comforted himself with the reality that once he got to America he would be able to change his life. He would be able to enjoy the kind of prosperity he would never know in the country of his birth.
When the final day arrived he packed his bags and went up on the deck to watch as they pulled into port. As he stood at the rail a ship steward came by and noticed him. Since he hadn’t seen him during the trip the steward went up to him and asked him why he hadn’t seen him before. The man told the steward how he stayed in his room during the trip. The steward asked to see the man’s ticket. After looking at it he said, “Did you know that the ticket you purchased included all the meals?”
That man missed out because he didn’t know what he had available. What kind of “ticket” do you have? Are you a follower of Jesus? If you are there are great provisions that God has for you. And there are a lot of them you don’t have to wait until you get to heaven to enjoy.
As you read through your Bible, look for some of the provisions God has for you. You don’t have to wait until I post. Study them for yourself.
9 Keep this in mind: The Teacher was considered wise, and he taught the people everything he knew. He listened carefully to many proverbs, studying and classifying them. 10 The Teacher sought to find just the right words to express truths clearly.
11 The words of the wise are like cattle prods—painful but helpful. Their collected sayings are like a nail-studded stick with which a shepherd drives the sheep.
12 But, my child, let me give you some further advice: Be careful, for writing books is endless, and much study wears you out.
13 That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. 14 God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.
The “teacher” mentioned here is King Solomon, ruler of Israel. Men die, memory fades, but truth lives on: not opinion, or perspective, but truth—as Francis Schaeffer would say, “true truth.”
We can get lost in the details of lives, our political and economic plights, and all the demands around us. But we must—or should—remember that we are all terminal. We will all leave this world and face our Creator, whether we believe in him or not. What is our duty? Scripture tells us in Ecclesiastes 12:13, we should “fear God and obey his commands.”
What is your definition of fear? Is it like a child shivering in a corner afraid of what their drunken father is going to do? Or is it like someone who doesn’t want to speed because they know there is a speed trap up ahead? How would you describe what your view of the fear of God?
So much of that comes down to how we view God. Many times it’s based on our own father image. If your father was loving, your fear is probably reverential respect. If your father was an ogre, it’s probably a cringing self-protection.
Don’t let your earthly relationships limit your spiritual relationships. Read the whole Bible to find out what your Heavenly Father is like. I think you’ll find he is hard to grasp because we don’t have good examples of the kind of unconditional love that he offers us.
Relationship with him is worth all the work you’ll put into the pursuit.
Tags: Duty of man, Ecclesiastes
Update
As you can see I’m making some changes with this blog. If you’re getting my RSS feeds I just want to say I”m sorry for the aburpt change. I’ve decided to change the format for my blog to a more personal side. If you want to find a conservative blog please check out Red Zonies.
Thanks for visiting my site.
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