Wilson Teflon Rhino

Navigating the Jungle of Real Life (Without Getting Stomped to Death)
1. Auflage 2015
ISBN: 978-0-9969601-1-3
Verlag: Metro World Child
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: Adobe DRM (»Systemvoraussetzungen)

E-Book, Englisch, 200 Seiten

The first rule of living in the jungle of real life is you have to survive, which means staying off the lunch menu. The rhinoceros (rhino) is a great example. It lives in contented solitude that does no completely exclude, but selects its fastest, strongest, tallest or smartest animal in the wild. It stays off the lunch menu due to its protective skin that is over one-half inch thick. It is extremely difficult to penetrate. Teflon is a slick coating that has transformed the world due to its nonstick properties, thus The Teflon Rhino. The rhino's skin is slick and thick. It is not swayed by the crowd, coerced by opinion, or motivated by popularity. It does no flinch in the face of adversity or succumb to the fear of the unknown. I am a survivor, and I have written this book as a survival manual for you.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Wilson, Bill

Leseproben

Chapter 2 WHERE IS THERE? There is a land where there is no more sea—our faces are steadfastly set towards it; we are going to the place of which the Lord hath spoken.v In 1914 Ernest Shackleton headed toward the Antarctica on his ship, “The Endurance,” with the purpose of being the first man to cross the Antarctica. Sailing out of South Georgia toward Wendell Sea on the northwestern side of Antarctica, disaster confronted them. The expedition was halted when “The Endurance” became frozen in the ice floes. They could not get free from ice, leaving Shackleton and his men trapped on their ship for over a year. When spring arrived they were still in the clutches of those frozen waters with no hope of continuing their journey. A thousand miles from the nearest civilization, they eventually had to ditch their ship and set up camp on an ice floe where they watched as their ship sunk into the frozen waters. With their camp set up on the ice floe they were hoping that it would drift toward Paulet Island. After two months and failed attempts to reach the Island, they set out in their life boats and landed on Elephant Island. This was the first time that they had stood on ground in 497 days. It was clear that they were in serious trouble far away from any shipping lanes. Shackleton made plans to leave the ice floe with five of his men. They took the best of their lifeboats with the hope that they might reach South Georgia. Shackleton gave the order that each man was limited to two pounds of weight for their personal items. To illustrate just how serious he was, he discarded his own valuables in front of the men. Then he held up a thick book and said, “This is the ship’s Bible that was given to us by the Queen before this voyage. I am keeping only three pages.” He placed the Bible down on the ice and held up those three torn, thin pages. Then he read one line: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me.” In spite of their desperate situation, Shackleton knew that they were in a critical place but they were there, a place where God was with them. For the next fifteen days they sailed through the waters of the southern ocean. Their lifeboat was pounded by the treacherous seas. Finally, they were in sight of the cliffs of Georgia. But this was not the end. They were trapped in hurricane-force winds and had to ride out the storm as their boat was pummeled by the pounding waves and powerful winds. The storm finally subsided and they were able, finally, to land on the unoccupied southern shore. After a period of rest and recuperation, rather than risk putting to sea again to reach the whaling stations on the northern coast, Shackleton decided to attempt a land crossing of the island. Leaving three of the men at the landing point on South Georgia, Shackleton traveled with the other two over mountainous terrain for 36 hours to reach the whaling station at Stromness. From that whaling station Shackleton sent a rescue to gather his men. All 28 men had survived the ordeal. Where is There? There is wherever Jesus is, even if it is in the icy and treacherous waters of the Antarctica. Shackleton understood the principle of the Presence. It was clear to him that if Jesus was there, he would be okay. It doesn’t matter if you are facing danger or death, if He is there that place will be a place of safety. Isn’t it interesting how much has been written about a little stable in the city of Bethlehem? It was not a palace. It was a stable. This obscure stable became a holy place. What made it so special? It was special because of the person who was there. Jesus made the stable in Bethlehem a special place. It wasn’t the stable or the city that was special. It was Jesus. The Jordan River might be the most well known river in the world. What makes it so unique? The most famous baptism in the world happened there when John baptized Jesus. It was Jesus who made that river special. The Sea of Galilee might be the most recognized body of water, but I have been there, and believe me when I say there is nothing special about this place. The Sea of Galilee is just a big lake. What made it so famous? It was the person who walked on its waters. What is the most famous nation in the world today? It is not the Babylonian Empire, not the Egyptian Empire, not even the Roman Empire or the Grecian Empire, not England, Russia, China, nor even the United States. What nation is the most famous and talked about today? You can’t pick up the paper without reading about this nation. Where is it? Israel. This little bitty, tiny and insignificant nation is an extraordinary place. It is the center place of all of history. Why? Because Jesus was there. What makes a land holy? It isn’t the richness of its soil. It isn’t the wonder of its terrain. It is because of the person who is associated with that land. It is Jesus. On whatever land Jesus steps, that land becomes holy and special. Where is there? The key to life is finding the where of His Presence. I am not looking for popularity. I am not looking for riches. I am not in search of power. I am looking to find where Jesus is. If I find that place, I know that my life will have meaning. I am convinced that I will find peace, happiness, and joy. There is no other place in the world like the place where Jesus is. Where is there for you? What is There? Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there. – 1 Kings 17:3-4 When you find there, you find the place that will become a catalyst for conquest. Some people never find that place. Thinking that their way is the best way, they find themselves lost in a maze of dead ends and detours. If you don’t find there, you will be destined to wander in confusion. I know people that have spent a lifetime trying to find there. In the life of Elijah we find some keys to finding our there. The first key is when you discover what was there. God told Elijah to go there and when he got there the ravens would feed him. There is more than a place. It is not just a geographical location. There is not a platform on which you perform! There is not a ministry! I was raised at a time when there was always a place. It was indicative of a place that you would go to and if you missed that place you were doomed. You couldn’t retrace your steps and get back and make the decision all over again. This concept creates a lot of fear in people and immobilizes them. When you understand there is not just a place, it will make the will of God a lot easier to understand. It is not only important to find where that place is. You must also understand what happens once you get to that place. First of all, it was a place of provision. Most people interpret this story incorrectly. They say that the ravens came to Elijah. The truth of the matter was that Elijah went to the place where the ravens were. And there’s a huge difference in those two thoughts. Elijah was positioned in a place where there was provision. It was a place where supernatural guidance was combined with dramatic obedience. I have worked with young people all my life. In working with them I have noticed that obedience is a tremendous challenge. They are so full of their own wisdom and think that they know it all. That reckless thinking has placed a lot of them in the wrong place. All of us have to come to the place where we begin to appreciate that we don’t know it all. The key to life is in grasping the truth that spiritual guidance is coupled with spiritual provision. Mary Geegh worked in India for 38 years and her book God Guides details the impact of her life on the people of India. Early in her life she was facing a major decision. She was in a quandary. What should she do? Should she return to America and accept the wedding proposal of Harry or remain in India? She sought counsel from one of her colleagues. Dr. Buchman told her, “Mary, God will show you which to choose—Harry or India.” In the end Mary chose India. She became the headmistress of a girls school there and over the years, her life impacted the young people of that foreign land. It was in her book that she wrote these oft-quoted words: Where God guides, God provides. Her life proved that this dynamic principle is true.vi I have found it very strange that those who have never done anything in life have the audacity to advise those who have accomplished much in theirs. On what ground are they standing? Rather than be an advisor they should be the student. Whether you’re 16 or whether you’re 50, if you don’t know what you’re talking about, the rule should be: Don’t say anything. Just listen. There is a Jewish proverb that states that there is no one as deaf as the person who will not listen. Because Elijah listened to God, he found a place of provision. It is amazing where obedience will lead you. It is equally amazing where disobedience will take you. The road of obedience is always the right road. There is no other road for those who would seek to serve God. How Do You Get to...