Upcoming thoughts

In no particular order

• The daily drudgery
• Fear
• Resolutions

but by the Grace of God

The only difference between me and anyone else- anyone at all- is the Grace of God; that I have not received what I really deserve. All my goodness, all my success (the relative amount of each that I happen to have) is only through His grace in my relationship with Jesus Christ. I can strive all I want to do "good" but it will never approach the goodness that is God. I can struggle to cleanse myself of all my past mistakes, my bad habits and my addictions. Praise God, instead, that I have an intercessor, Jesus Christ, who stands between me and God. God's desire for me is goodness and love but my given nature, as a result of my free will, doesn't always lead me to make the right choices. There exist logical and natural consequences (short and long-term) to our behavior and actions. I can look at my past and see the Grace of God in my life. I can consider where I am now, the life I have right now, at this moment, and know- absolutely and with no doubt, that it is not me who has gotten me here. Left to my choices and decisions, this is not what I deserve. This is also not random nor coincidence, either, as I can see direction, purpose, love, and a great work being done within me that gives glory to God.
Jesus is on my side and when I place my trust in Him to guide me and protect me, He is fighting for me as only He can. And within God's desire for us even when we are not seeking him He is with us, protecting and guiding in ways that surpass our understanding.

room of my life

The room of my life is dirty and dark. I call on God to clean. He has the special cleaning method, the only one that works. I know what needs to go, what needs to be washed. But I don't want to see it all at once, show it all. Don't NEED to see it all. First things first, right. God will clean it ALL, He says. But this doesn't need cleaning, does it? Or that? I only used it once... The cleaner it gets the cleaner I want it to be. What I thought needed to remain, no longer does. What looked clean is now seen dirty. As the debris is swept away, the blinds are opened and the light reveals the mess I've made.

Unfaithfulness

Watching "Lord, save us from your followers". Tony Campolo says something along the lines of 'The church is a whore but she's is also my mother'.(?) The question being, has the church been unfaithful as the bride of Christ? Also has an interesting analogy as to how the 'body of Christ' is so splintered it's closer to a Frankenstein, stumbling around hurting poeople.

Hope

From BSF notes: "New Testament hope is not a passive state that bears things with quiet resignation. Hope is steadfastness in the face of difficulties. While hope is always yet future, it is nevertheless completely certain. Hope is invariably linked with the "blessed hope"- the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

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God created all things

"If matter existed apart from God, then what inherent right would God have to rule over it and use it for his glory?"
Bible Doctrine by Wayne Grudem

Hearing God's voice

from Shane's sermon 1/1/12
How do we have ears to hear what God is saying to us?
1. Listen through the written word
Psalm 119:131
2. Listen through God's people
Acts 2:42-47
3. Listen through the Spirit's whisper
Isaiah 30:21
4. Listen through circumstances
Matthew 7:7
5. Listen through desires born in time with God
Psalm 37:4

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Failure To Discipline

Failure To Discipline

I found these two lines to be particularly meaningful:
"discipline must begin before character is permanently bent and twisted."
"Being straightened out is painful, but being left crooked will ultimately hurt even more."

Peace of God

"Jesus described the peace of God as different from anything the world has to offer. St. Paul similarly said, "The peace of God...transcends all understanding" (Phil 4:7). Yet many Christians appear to recommend-as I think the secular world does-a formulaic version of peace, based on acquiring the right knowledge. If we just get the right answers to questions such as, "Does God exist?" or "Is the Christian God the one true God?" or "Why does an all-powerful, all-loving God allow suffering?" then we can find peace. These are important questions, but would having the answers really bring peace when the questions arise from the pain of our own bewildering circumstance? Sound theology and accurate thought processes are helpful. But does God's peace come by knowing the right answers? I don't think so. We can have all the right information and the best understanding of Christian doctrine and still experience great pain, loneliness, and inner unrest. Even Scripture makes it clear that God's true peace is beyond the grip of human comprehension" (page 13)
Paradoxy by Tom Taylor