Word for Today: "Losing Your Job but Not Your Life"

#1 · September 29, 2009, 7:20 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on September 29, 2009, 7:20 pm
Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>
Dear friends,

This message is long; first it talks about jobs and loss of jobs, but then it talks about the REAL job. Read it as soon as you are able to do so and concentrate upon it; save it until that time PLEASE.

I can certainly identify with Larry's message today, and being that I am one of countless others who have lost their jobs, especially over the past nine months, I relate to all of the illustrations. It is not the first time, either. I have lost jobs to poor decisions on my part, poor management on the part of the company I worked for, economic troughs and valleys that were not caused, either by me or by the company where I worked, but they affected both of us.

I am in a tougher spot than just losing the job. From 2001-2005, I was out of technology completely for most of that time, at least for sustaining work. With minimum wage jobs, all of my life savings and more were eroded. Back then, I was well off with my home, and I was able, first to refinance, then tap my savings, which had been intended for retirement.

I did well in 2005-2009, recovering and demonstrating that I could not only get back into the technology sector, I could accelerate, apply what I had learned, both in my career and in my personal life, and apply the ups and downs of life to real life business issues as well. I credit all of that to my Creator, who made me, gave me the family that I grew up with, the desire to excel, and the means to do it. Most of the failures fall at my feet, with a few partially the result of others who also made poor decisions. I cannot blame my Creator for any of that.

Today, I am less than two days away from a foreclosure auction, which I am told will be held on my front lawn (if that is what you can call it). The best I can hope for now is a new start in life that will lead me in a completely different direction - but without being a home owner. Perhaps that will be good, who knows, I don't. All I can count on is what I know to be true and what I have experienced - that God is Good, that God has a plan for my life, that God has not shielded me from trouble in the past, nor do I expect Him to shield me from trouble now, but He will be with me, as He has always been.

It is a scary thing. There is no denying that. I did not sleep very well last night, but that had one positive outcome: it gave me more time to pray.

Are any of you going through anything similar right now? If you are, take heart, it may not be the end of the world yet - though I always hope for the return of the coming King every day. Before that can happen, you and I need to be busy about God's business.

You see, God did not simply create us to be financial analysts, teachers, nurses, doctors, engineers, managers, and programmers, God made us for Himself. He wants our praise. He could get that by just bringing us to Heaven. But what then about those left behind? Is there any hope for any who do not fathom what God has done for them? As long as we are here, yes there is!

So right now, besides spending time looking for work and figuring out where I may be living, whether in a recliner in my car, in some shelter or in the home of someone generous enough to help, I also need to be about God's business, warning the "lost" that there could be a home reserved for them in Heaven, but not unless they realize that Jesus Christ is the One who did the work to prepare that Eternal Mansion, and without His approval, there is no hard work, no plea, nothing. But at the same time, it is simple: We admit that we fail, we sin, we fall short of God's expectation. Nothing we can do can change that - save one - admitting that since we fall short, someone else has to pay our entry fee. That would be Jesus Christ. He is The Way, The Truth, and the Life, the Bible says. Jesus further says that no one comes to the Father, but by me (see John 14:6 - http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+14%3A6&version=KJV).

We cannot earn or buy our way into Heaven, but we CAN simply ACCEPT the entry that has already been paid. A Gospel song says: "Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain; He washed it white as snow".

Ephesians 2:8-10 (King James Version)

⁸For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

⁹Not of works, lest any man should boast.

¹⁰For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

So you see, we are called and created to do good works, but we are not saved by the good works, that is our job. We are saved by grace - both are needed. It is the admission that we cannot save ourselves and the recognition that only the perfect and pure one can save us - that is Jesus, and only by asking and believing can we receive and accept that free gift.

Once redeemed, we are given a job to do, and that is to tell others. So if you believe, are you telling others? If you don't believe, I am sounding a loving but urgent warning to you. Your home is in foreclosure - your heavenly home. Before the giant mortgage company comes to take it away, will you call upon the One who can - and will - forgive your debt - forever?

Lord Jesus, I am forever in debt to You for your selfless act of love, leaving the comfort of a Heavenly eternity to become part of Your own creation, becoming a creature of your own creation - incredible, all to demonstrate Your great, amazing, never ending love for us. How can we possibly dismiss that - ever? How I pray for everyone who reads this to embrace what you have done - for me, for anyone who will realize and accept Your great gift of love. For those who stubbornly refuse it, refusing to either admit what You have done or admit that they desperately need the provision given for all! O Lord, You made Your provision available to all, but not all will accept it.

Move in the hearts of many to accept it, even now. When You know whose are Yours (of course You know already), then call us home in Your time. But please, Lord, use me, use us, to capture as many as possible, so that we have a HUGE eternal party of praise and adoration for You, for none deserve more praise than You! Amen.
  --  To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: 1corinthians7-unsubscribe@welovegod.org  
A-Message-from-Larry-Davies.eml

Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Dear friends,

This message is long; first it talks about jobs and loss of jobs, but then it talks about the REAL job. Read it as soon as you are able to do so and concentrate upon it; save it until that time PLEASE.

I can certainly identify with Larry's message today, and being that I am one of countless others who have lost their jobs, especially over the past nine months, I relate to all of the illustrations. It is not the first time, either. I have lost jobs to poor decisions on my part, poor management on the part of the company I worked for, economic troughs and valleys that were not caused, either by me or by the company where I worked, but they affected both of us.

I am in a tougher spot than just losing the job. From 2001-2005, I was out of technology completely for most of that time, at least for sustaining work. With minimum wage jobs, all of my life savings and more were eroded. Back then, I was well off with my home, and I was able, first to refinance, then tap my savings, which had been intended for retirement.

I did well in 2005-2009, recovering and demonstrating that I could not only get back into the technology sector, I could accelerate, apply what I had learned, both in my career and in my personal life, and apply the ups and downs of life to real life business issues as well. I credit all of that to my Creator, who made me, gave me the family that I grew up with, the desire to excel, and the means to do it. Most of the failures fall at my feet, with a few partially the result of others who also made poor decisions. I cannot blame my Creator for any of that.

Today, I am less than two days away from a foreclosure auction, which I am told will be held on my front lawn (if that is what you can call it). The best I can hope for now is a new start in life that will lead me in a completely different direction - but without being a home owner. Perhaps that will be good, who knows, I don't. All I can count on is what I know to be true and what I have experienced - that God is Good, that God has a plan for my life, that God has not shielded me from trouble in the past, nor do I expect Him to shield me from trouble now, but He will be with me, as He has always been.

It is a scary thing. There is no denying that. I did not sleep very well last night, but that had one positive outcome: it gave me more time to pray.

Are any of you going through anything similar right now? If you are, take heart, it may not be the end of the world yet - though I always hope for the return of the coming King every day. Before that can happen, you and I need to be busy about God's business.

You see, God did not simply create us to be financial analysts, teachers, nurses, doctors, engineers, managers, and programmers, God made us for Himself. He wants our praise. He could get that by just bringing us to Heaven. But what then about those left behind? Is there any hope for any who do not fathom what God has done for them? As long as we are here, yes there is!

So right now, besides spending time looking for work and figuring out where I may be living, whether in a recliner in my car, in some shelter or in the home of someone generous enough to help, I also need to be about God's business, warning the "lost" that there could be a home reserved for them in Heaven, but not unless they realize that Jesus Christ is the One who did the work to prepare that Eternal Mansion, and without His approval, there is no hard work, no plea, nothing. But at the same time, it is simple: We admit that we fail, we sin, we fall short of God's expectation. Nothing we can do can change that - save one - admitting that since we fall short, someone else has to pay our entry fee. That would be Jesus Christ. He is The Way, The Truth, and the Life, the Bible says. Jesus further says that no one comes to the Father, but by me (see John 14:6 - http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+14%3A6&version=KJV).

We cannot earn or buy our way into Heaven, but we CAN simply ACCEPT the entry that has already been paid. A Gospel song says: "Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain; He washed it white as snow".

Ephesians 2:8-10 (King James Version)

⁸For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

⁹Not of works, lest any man should boast.

¹⁰For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

So you see, we are called and created to do good works, but we are not saved by the good works, that is our job. We are saved by grace - both are needed. It is the admission that we cannot save ourselves and the recognition that only the perfect and pure one can save us - that is Jesus, and only by asking and believing can we receive and accept that free gift.

Once redeemed, we are given a job to do, and that is to tell others. So if you believe, are you telling others? If you don't believe, I am sounding a loving but urgent warning to you. Your home is in foreclosure - your heavenly home. Before the giant mortgage company comes to take it away, will you call upon the One who can - and will - forgive your debt - forever?

Lord Jesus, I am forever in debt to You for your selfless act of love, leaving the comfort of a Heavenly eternity to become part of Your own creation, becoming a creature of your own creation - incredible, all to demonstrate Your great, amazing, never ending love for us. How can we possibly dismiss that - ever? How I pray for everyone who reads this to embrace what you have done - for me, for anyone who will realize and accept Your great gift of love. For those who stubbornly refuse it, refusing to either admit what You have done or admit that they desperately need the provision given for all! O Lord, You made Your provision available to all, but not all will accept it.

Move in the hearts of many to accept it, even now. When You know whose are Yours (of course You know already), then call us home in Your time. But please, Lord, use me, use us, to capture as many as possible, so that we have a HUGE eternal party of praise and adoration for You, for none deserve more praise than You! Amen.

  --  To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: 1corinthians7-unsubscribe@welovegod.org

A-Message-from-Larry-Davies.eml