I wanted to thank everyone for their prayers. I am very grateful to all who prayed about the need when both the computer and the backup went down permanently in less than a month. No more patching and praying. Unshackled Life Ministries now has a new computer equipment and an improved ability to record our audio and the audio for Nacogdoches Christian Fellowship. I won't take the time to write it all out at the moment, but Daddy left His fingerprints all over everything, and I want to thank you all who new about the need and gave us prayer support. I ask that you continue to keep this ministry, my wife, and me in your prayers, but asking for and being thankful for prayers is not what this is about either.
Get to the point already then. What is this about? Well, it's about the new computer, interface and setup we have and that mistake I made. But you said that isn't what it's about. It's not about mistakes being OK or mistakes not being sin, and I could not bring up the new computer setup without expressing my gratitude for the prayers, but it's not about that either. It is about the mistake itself, to be specific it's about power. The Holy Spirit has been using a lot of object lessons lately to remind me of some truths about power and powerlessness.
With the new set up, we now have one of the top 10 computers for audio production. We don't have a top 10 audio producer, but I do have a radio/tv minor and some experience running professional sound systems. So I can manage, and with the new set up I can do some things I was never able to do with the old equipment. Recording music is one of those things, and recording audio from the Internet, such as a speaker on YouTube, and having the same quality as the original to turn into an audio file for later listening is another.
To make sure that I can best utilize the equipment Daddy provided to best serve God and others, I have been exploring and experimenting with it, to learn how to get the most out of it and what it will do.
Did that sound good? Did I sound all spiritual and like a preacher? Want to know the truth? I'm a geek, and I love this stuff. I am grateful that I didn't have to record this week's sermon with a phone and try to make it work, but I am not all work, no play, this must only be used to further the work of God every second.... I've been playing. I've been recording audio books off of YouTube and turning them to audio files I can listen to on my phone without having to keep my screen on. With YouTube I have to keep the app open in order to listen, and that makes keeping something going while the phone is in my pocket and I'm outside feeding the animals difficult. The app I have to listen to audio books with will run in the background. So, now I can find what I want on YouTube, make a copy and listen to it later. Last night I tried to do this with the latest choice. Setting to record overnight is plenty of time to record 8 hours. By the time I get dressed in the morning and grab my coffee, the file is done or almost done.
Except last night. Last night the computer went to sleep about two hours into the recording, and I will have to start over. When I set everything back up in my study after carrying it all to the church to record last night's message, I evidently forgot to plug it back in. This new computer is awesome, but it's not going to run and power an interface for 8 hours on battery. It doesn't have the power. But it's a lot better than the old backup that just died. It couldn't run on battery for more than five minutes, and it didn't go to sleep; it shut down.
We have a battery too, and like a laptop or phone battery, it is not self sustaining. It needs to be recharged regularly. Now with my laptop, I keep it plugged in almost all the time, excluding transport. If the computer is up and running, it's plugged in to an outlet if at all possible. And that is, or should be, us also. Left to my own devices, without being plugged into and running on the power of the Spirit, I go to sleep. Or shut down. I can not serve God or serve others well or with right motives. I can't love God or love others like Jesus did. I can not deny self and follow Jesus when I am running on battery....at least not long.
Battery times vary from individual to individual. For that matter, they vary with one individual, depending on how healthy they are, how well charged they are, and how much power they are using. That makes sense, right? We sometimes get this idea that Steps 1-3 have driven into us that we can't run on our own power lest we fall or die, so if we aren't plugged into a power greater than ourselves, if we aren't running connected to the Spirit every minute of every day, we're doomed. It goes along with that whole instruction to pray without ceasing. You're not going to be able to do it. If I am wrong about that, please let me know and include detailed, step-by-step how to do what you have done guides. The truth is that while we aim for and strive for perfection and holiness, we will not attain it on this side of eternity, and we are not going to ever be able to 100% pray without ceasing for any serious length of time, nor are we going to get to the point where we never, ever, run on battery.
And that's OK. We don't need to be quaking in our boots and living in fear that if our plug comes loose we're going to shut down in five minutes or less. This is where Step 11 is so important. We seek through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with Daddy, asking to know His will and for the power to carry it out. That's plugging in. That's making sure that we're not trying to live Step3 on our power. But running on battery isn't running on our power. The battery doesn't have or generate any of it's own juice. It stores power from the power source to use later. That's why the designers put it in there, because sometimes we unplug and it's good not to instantly shut down when that happens. God made us able to store up His love, goodness, power and more as we spend time plugged into Him. That way, when we are unplugged, we can still function and still serve, for a while. We need to plug back in before the battery dies, but the more time we spend plugged in, the better, bigger, more efficient our battery. That's not an excuse to run longer and longer between charges, which will weaken the battery. It's reminding us that we're charged up. We're not running on our power, but His, even when it's battery and we're not consciously plugged in. We don't have to walk through life in fear that if we take our consciousness and awareness off God for more than a minute we'll fail Him, fail the test, stumble. Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against Thee, the psalmist said. Charge up by spending time with Daddy and getting to know Daddy, by trusting in the work of Big Brother Jesus, and submitting to the guidance, teaching and charging of the Holy Spirit. Then walk confidently and be strong in the power of His might, even when it's battery power.
Oh of course, if you know He has work to do through you that is going to take more time and energy than your battery has, make sure you're plugged in before you start . Not because of fear, but just so you won't go to sleep a quarter of the way through and have to charge and start over.
Lord, we thank You that You designed us to be able to connect with You and be powered by You, and that You gave us spiritual batteries so that we can run on Your power, even when we're not totally plugged in to the awareness of Your presence. Help us to remember to stay charged, but also remind us that if we get out there in life too long and get low, we don't have to find an outlet, that You, Holy Spirit can and will meet us wherever we are, and we can have instant access to You because You have made Your very home within us. Thank You for Your power and Your help and Your love for us. Help us to walk in it and share it and do Your will, by Your power, for Your glory always. Amen
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