Forum - Banjo Ben Clark

Prayers... Still Jobless

#1

All,

I have missed partcating on the Forum - and missed you - one and all.

Life has been very hectic of late as I seek my next job, endless phone interviews, some in-person interviews, job fairs, constant resume revisions and customizing, attending professional Certifications training (CBAP & PMP), and survival temp jobs have provided precious little time for my practicing… let alone to participate here.

The two positives: 1) transforming growth in faith with connection to God through prayer and 2) Blessings of family/friends to sustain us through this struggle.

Oh… And while in my soft-shell case, my 9-month-old Eastman 315 slipped off my shoulder and smacked on my cousin’s driveway… resulting in a clean break of the headstock scroll! @Jake, can you provide a reasonable estimate for the repair? Now… WHEN I get a job in my profession, I will get it fixed

My saving grace… it doesn’t affect the playing capability.

I miss you all and thank you for your ongoing prayers… as I am closing in on TWO multi-interview positions!

In God’s Will… He is molding and shaping me and in return, I have MORE faith, as I lay this burden at into His loving care that my offer is approaching soon.

In Jesus’ Name - Amen!

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#2

Hey Will, thanks for the update. You are on my list and I’ll be praying for you. I feel confident something good is coming real soon.

If Jake doesn’t want to tackle the headstock, there is a local place that is cheap, but very functional. In other words, this isn’t the place you send a vintage whatchamacallit, but it is a good place to get your instrument nicely usable again for a reasonable price. Save all the little wood bits if it splintered. Some of those come in handy.

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#3

Hi Willcoop,

Hope you’re not messing with my mind, as I also am/was in a situation similar to you at similar timeframes.

Anyways, here is a secret to finding rest (example, a job for living).

Matthew 11:28-30
28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Everyone has an yoke upon them in this world no matter what. Jesus’ yoke might appear too hard but in reality it is light. This is yoke is a burden you are prepared to carry from following Jesus’s commandments. When you do, the worldly yoke (burden from jobless situation etc) is automatically lifted. There is an issue however. The understanding of Jesus’ commandments in Churches today is a whole different or opposite of what Jesus said and intended that carrying a burden from following such teachings is not exactly carrying Jesus’ yoke. (I can explain the true understanding from any Jesus’s words/commandments). But if you would show inclination to understand and to follow his commandments truly in truth and in spirit, and go to him, you will see your situation turn around right away. He will then teach you to further guide you.

Moses said this in Deuteronomy 30:15,
15 See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil.

Now is a prophet (Jesus) greater than Moses, and we are supposed to listen to him in all things whatsoever he shall say. Acts 3:22-23. He is the word of life (I John 1:1) and in him and in his word alone and nowhere else is life.

Choice is always ours! My prayers for God to remove any block for you to be able to make that choice and that your needs fully are met!

John

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#4

Praying :pray:

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#5

As far as the job goes, my prayers are with you. I’ve been there and while looking in many directions for a job, one came to me where I was not looking. So at the tender age of 60, I embarked on a new profession after a lifetime of teaching. It will come.

About the headstock, a clean break can be a good thing. Can you post a few close up, detailed pics of the break? I may be able to walk you through the repair just from seeing it (especially if it is truly a clean break). My least favorite headstock repairs are the ones where the wood does not break clean but instead splinters in two different directions; still repairable, but much harder to make look like it never happened (requires a good bit of skilled finish work).

Take care,

Mike

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#6

@jmonickaraj1,

I just could not have made this all up!

Perhaps, in addition to your wonderful and inspired Bible passages, we can find strength and take solace in this struggle we share and burden together.

I hope your issues are resolved and I offer my email should you want to discuss or have me extend prayers on your half in return: mdgri3@gmail.com

Thank you for the positive message.

#7

Hi @WillCoop, I’m glad that you find encouragement in those bible verses. I’m now waiting to hear your job confirmation news! My situation is probably slightly different. If you really want to hear, I’ll email. But definitely we can discuss Bible via email, I’ll do soon. :slight_smile:

John

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#8

Will,

I admire your faith, and your openness. Too many people are not willing to have a little vulnerability, which reveals how insecure we all are.

Prayers to you. You’re a good man.

#9

Thank you Jack,

My “pride” has long since fallen away. I am a humble man and - so be more transparent, I have been working at a Christan Church to make ends meet… But I have 2 positions I am chasing where I have had multiple interviews… So I am hoping that one (if not both) will finally land me that elusive offer letter.

We shall see this week hence, the real reason for the prayer request.

Plus, I have been so busy… I have missed contributing to this community… and also felt a need to update my status for those who were praying from my previous us requests.

I thank @BanjoBen to permitting my prayer request… And yes, I asked him first our of respect… And he fully ENCOURAGED my post.

Thanks again Jack (@Treblemaker). You are a good man for boosting me with your encouraging words.

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#10

:pray:

#11

Guess what, I very sincerely prayed for @WillCoop the same day then forgot about it. I did not apply for jobs in the last 2 weeks or so but then 2 recruiters reached out to me. Within 3-4 hours of a recruiter’s call from nowhere on Friday, interview was setup, manager was extremely pleased, verbal offer was made for a contract position! But I don’t know if I can join. Weird situation isn’t it? This kind of upset me as I was quiet for now from not applying for jobs! Then it occurred to me all of a sudden that maybe it happened for the reader’s sake that they should not think poor Jesus could not help! Hence sharing it.

God is faithful at his end with his promises!! But man need to take the step and go to the real Jesus as there is a fake Jesus mentioned in II Corinthians 11:4 such teaching is prevalent (or it is full of) today. (I’ll explain how with an example sometime.)

Luke 15:18- “I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, and no more worthy to be called thy son; make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose and came to his father. But when he was a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion,…”! You know the rest of the story and how he was blessed.

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#12

Real Jesus vs Fake Jesus

A teaching from Paul in II Corinthians 11:4 lay it bare that there is fake Jesus.

4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted,…

Apostle John expresses the same thing in I John 4:1,

1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

Now which is the correct Jesus, correct spirit or correct gospel? I’ll take love, a fundamental topic in Christianity, to show my point.

What is love?

Apostle John describes love in I John 4:10 & 7

10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

7 … for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

So, love is what was manifested when God would not spare his only begotten son and gave him as a propitiation for our sins.

In other words, God is love, and nowhere else is love. The love has to come out of God. And this love was manifested in Jesus on the cross. When you receive Jesus and obtain forgiveness of sins and the consequences of it, you have love in you. Otherwise you have no love!

This love is only available in (within) Christ. Today church is outside of Christ, so no love! Am I making this up? Soon I’ll show from what Jesus said about love.

We see many people do acts of love. A person sees someone in danger, he helps him. A parent does a brave act to save his/her son. Are they born-again to consider these acts of love? Are these love in the context of “Love your enemies”, “Let us love one another” etc. etc. No! These acts are not considered love in biblical sense.

Imagine you are container. God pours his love in this container. You hold it and share it with others, that is love. There is no boasting here, as this love is not yours but God’s.

Jesus said in Luke 7:47, (read also the incident and the story given in the surrounding verses)

47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.

So there is one to whom nothing is forgiven, to whom the consequences of sin are not taken away, he/she cannot truly love!

What is being preached?

Today Christianity considers dictionary definition as bible definition of love. A Christian is being taught to act in a way a kind-hearted human would act to think that it is an act of love, while his/her heart is wicked all along. That’s the problem.

So, this bible love is not about cultivating a good habit that comes by practice in the normal sense!

And, love is not just about the act, it includes a divine heart condition that goes with it.

So, which is the correct Jesus/spirit/gospel?

Now what comes to your mind immediately about this teaching - wrong teaching, right teaching or not sure?? Let’s examine. If you think it is wrong teaching, obviously you and I are not following the same Jesus (or teaching). You and I are following different Jesus’s!! That’s obvious and undeniable. But which is the correct Jesus?

The same apostle John, who describes love in I John 4:10, says in one of the preceding verses who is following the correct Jesus/spirit. I John 4:6 goes,

6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

I think a better translation for spirit of error might be sprit of deception. So if you can’t hear/listen/accept what apostle John said in I John 4:7,10, you need to be careful on what kind of Jesus and what kind of spirit have you received in your churches!

More thoughts on the message of love

I will use the below to illustrate the difference between natural love in a human and divine love poured in a born again person.

To be able to find one’s way in night time, one needs light. This light can be from a torch light with a battery or from a lamp with oil, both self-contained units to give one light. If this light would be from moon, the moon should be able to receive the light from sun to shine it out. You can be the self-contained torch light or lamp to shine light (love) for someone, or can be a dependent moon to shine light (love) for someone. What difference, after all both helps that someone?? The difference is, it not about that someone, it is about you and you only!! When God can raise up children for Abraham from stones, he does not need your help to help someone. What he is looking for is your and my obedience! The moon light (love) cannot boast as its source is sun. This way love exhibited is pure and has the characteristics of what Paul describes in I Corinthians 13. And the glory would be God’s. This is the type of love God wants to show in your life upon others. Any other love to the least is selfish, to hypocritical, and to the most wickedness.

#13

The previous post was a bit late but was as promised… :slight_smile: