They're posing in a café which named a drink of his invention after him. He describes that drink in the folowing article, which he recently published in their church newsletter...
Several weeks ago, I came to the office to check on my e-mails. My office computer was running particularly slow, and a box came up on the screen asking if I wanted to report the operations error to Microsoft. I was frustrated so, I sent the report. Immediately the computer screen went dead, no matter what I did the computer screen was a complete blank.
I knew I was in trouble, all my files/documents from the past 12 years of ministry were entombed on the computer's hard drive. Desperate, at this point, I contacted a friend to try and get my computer working. The problem persisted until my computer tower refused to even power up. Finally, I took the computer tower to the local computer repair shop and they reported back to me that my hard drive was blank, no documents, and no files, empty.
What happened, how could this be? The clerk said that most likely a forwarded e-mail message, that I had opened, had an embedded virus that, without my knowledge, slowly ate away, consuming, destroying my operating system, so that after a period of time my computer crashed.
God how can you allow this to happen? Why didn't you protect my computer? After a time of whining and stomping my feet and yelling, "Rats!" and "Corn Flakes!", I returned to reality and asked the Lord is there something here you are trying to teach me?
This is what I've been pondering over for several weeks. How many times do we read or listen to a message filled with fear ("The sky is falling" or "Big brother is out to rob me" or "Terrorist are going to destroy my favorite coffee shop and I'll never be able to have another nectar of the gods, of course a soy mocha, hold the whip cream please and hot, it's cold outside.") Messages that seem reasonable, yet imbedded in the message is a spirit of fear, a spirit of doubt, a spirit of lust, a spirit of selfishness, a spirit of anger, or a spirit of ____________ ( you fill in the blank).
I'm oblivious to the false spirit, I continue to function in my walk with God as in the past, but something's beginning to bog down my life, I'm beginning to struggle in areas I've not struggled in for a while and I'm wondering what's happening. Gradually and steadily, that embedded spirit in my heart eats away at the truths of God's promises and, if unchecked, my soul and spirit crash.
I wonder why, how? And then God reveals that I've welcomed into my life ideas, thoughts, images that have a deeply embedded virus that destroys my relationship with Him. What I need is a cleansing of my heart (the hard drive of my spiritual life). I need to pray the prayer of David, "Search me oh God and know my heart…Test me and know my anxious thoughts…See if there by any offensive way in me…Lead me in the way everlasting." Claim this promise "…He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." Finally, reprogram your life through truth in Christ, "I am the way the truth and the life…" "Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; mediate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it…"
What's the point of this article? Please be cautious of the things that you choose to dwell upon. Check out the source, is it from God or is it from man? And then choose to dwell upon that which strengthens our hearts, encourages our walk with Christ, and causes us to be transforming agents of God's Kingdom to a broken world.
So we come to Philippians 4. Life, peace, joy, truth come from one source; "in Christ," "in the Lord," "the God of peace." A crashed life comes from filling one's mind with thoughts that are embedded with lies, fear, selfishness, lust, pride or anger...
What thoughts are you allowing to enter your mind? Ask God to enable you to focus on truth through your personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Secondly, be cautious of what you choose to dwell upon that is not directly from the Lord, it may be embedded with a virus that will wipe out the hard drive of your soul. Finally, remember this promise "…I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you." May the God of peace be with you, always.
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, Rejoice! Let all men know and perceive and recognize your unselfishness (your considerateness, your forbearing spirit). The Lord is near. Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. And God's peace which transcends all understanding shall guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things . Practice what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and model your way of living on it, and the God of peace (untroubled, undisturbed well-being) will be with you.
Philippians 4:4-9 (Amplified)
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