Jesus, Jeeps, Food: 2014

I think today might be the perfect day for blogging. I have nothing to do other than read, rest, and eat! Sometimes, maybe during a stressful event like finals week, I really look forward to times when I can afford to relax this much, but it is never very pleasant when I actually get it (at least not for more than like an hour or so). But this is the end of the summer and I have been immobilized due to a shoulder injury, so I have had some good down time. I start working for Knox Kershaw here in the next few weeks!

I have learned a lot of great things over the last year!! I will share some things the Lord has been teaching me: (warning this might be a lil choppy and not read well, its just some of random things I've been learning!)

Undoubtedly it's important to get in the word everyday. But I think it might be even more important to remember, in depth, what it means to receive the grace of God. I mean really remember it and its implications DAILY. The word, prayer, and meditation can all be ways to achieve this. Also, possibly even more encompassing would be to remember deeply the Holiness of God which would include His incredible love and His power, perfection and justice. Recognizing these things daily then realizing he has provided you with another day of life for some reason inspires a healthy fear, reverence and love for Him!

Christians should be happy.

God promises even the bad things work out for our good (Rom 8:28).

The things he has given us like salvation, grace, love, and mercy, he promises to never take away (John 10:28). And the very best things are yet to come (Rev 21)

-Jonathan Edwards (paraphrased)

We can't be fulfilled on this earth. This is a widely accepted psychological truth. That something, that no matter what you do, is still missing. that's built in by God into the human soul to remind you that there is something more, that there is somePLACE more

we are saved by faith alone, but the faith that saves is never alone.

-Martin Luther

it brings about grateful, joyful, trusting obedience

The man who has God for his treasure has all things in One. Many ordinary treasures may be denied him, or if he is allowed to have them, the enjoyment of them will be so tempered that they will never be necessary to his happiness. Or if he must see them go, one after one, he will scarcely feel a sense of loss, for having the Source of all things he has in One all satisfaction, all pleasure, all delight. Whatever he may lose he has actually lost nothing, for he now has it all in One, and he has it purely, legitimately and forever. -AW Tozer

While sin is indeed breaking the law of God, having this view of sin can confuse our view of grace and cause us to idolize morality. We become obsessed over doing everything perfectly according to his law, but this can’t be done! This view causes us to subconsciously try to do everything perfect in an attempt to convince ourselves we are spiritually acceptable. Christ has made us spiritually perfect and beautiful already (eph 5:27) --DON’T FORGET THIS. (Jer 2:32). Let’s look at sin, not as something that breaks the law of God, but as something that breaks the HEART of the One that has already showed us unending grace.

He took his hands off of His life and became a dying, a destroyed sacrifice for you. He gave Himself utterly to you. Now take your hands off your life and become a living sacrifice for Him! -TIMOTHY

Think of life like a PUPPET show. I think to make the analogy work we need to imagine puppet strings are connected not just to our members but also our heart, mind, and soul. God is the puppet master and all of the puppets are hopeless for salvation until the Lord opens the eyes of the puppets hearts and gives them a faith. Even after this occurs, the puppet still has no righteousness or power on its own. Instead all of its power and righteousness comes from the puppet master who is the source of everything and sovereign over the puppet show. We are just limp, hopeless puppets until the Lord picks us out. We have ZERO to boast about. We are in the hands of a MIGHTY God who is in control of our sanctification. Also, how can we judge other believers or look down on them when we all are equally as broken and the Lord is in charge of our sanctification? Phil 2:30