"It's just good business."
These were the last words of Lord Beckett, the villainous entrepreneur of the film Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. Spoiler alert! At the final battle, his intricate plans to eradicate his economic competition (the pirates) fall apart as the hero Will Turner replaces the immortal Davy Jones. With cannon and cutlass and all manners of metal fury, the legendary ships The Black Pearl and The Flying Dutchman obliterate the battleship of the East India Trading Company.
What's my point? Nothing. I was just reviewing my itinerary for 2008: job referrals, ube and leche flan sales, and an Unlimited Network of Opportunites. Oh, that AND my normal 9-5. 2008, the Year of Work. No cannons to blow our brains out, but the steady static of our headphones hum gently. No cutlass to pierce our hearts, just the silent sting of rejections from corporate comrades.
We take a moment to look away from the battlefield to our Lord Jesus, the Maker of Tough Love and Work. "Look to the bloody, splintered cross that has the weight of the world's sins." We look. "Now," says the Lord, "compare your burden to that workload." We look at Him, and smile. Our cross is always smaller in relativity. Our business became His business the moment He lifted the beams. This year may be the defining point, the year I am tested in fire and stretched to the limit. Good. The faster this "tent" wears out, the sooner the "temple" can rise. Time to work!
Greetings
Royal Priests are everywhere. Any believer of Jesus the Christ our Lord and Savior is called to priesthood. Any heart that is restless and breaks free in small bursts of grace, any soul that persists under pressure, any mind that ponders the vastness of the glory of God is a Royal Priest.
Not to take too much of the spotlight, but this blog is my part in the story, indeed The Greatest Story Ever Written - the story of God and mankind. Though the holy fire has been doused somewhat with my reunion with the world, the embers are here - with the hope that you, dear reader, might have enough to light your way. Remember, Our Lord is always with us...even in everyday moments. Nothing is so "real" that it loses its spiritual side. If you need anything, know that His Door is always open and His Light is always on. May God bless you always, my friend.
Answer the call, and begin the adventure of your life.
Royal References & Recommendations
- Websites - Godsblogs.org, Godspeaks.com, Desiringgod.org, Multnomahbooks.com
- Music - Jars of Clay, DC Talk, The Fighting Temptations OST, Don Moen, Ron Kenoly, Hillsong
- Movies - The Passion of the Christ, The Greatest Story Ever Told, Barabbas, The Ten Commandments, The Gospel of John, The Prince of Egypt, Joseph: King of Dreams
- Books - Experiencing The Heart of Jesus Books 1 & 2 by Max Lucado, The Pleasures of God by John Piper, The Purpose-Driven Life by Rick Warren, God's Blogs by Lanny Donoho, Gods of Power by David M. Steyne
