EASTER

What a morning to behold
A blessed day awakes
Because His death was not the end
A stone began to shake


And from the grave He rose again
He conquered death and sin
Greater love hath no man seen
No greater love since then


He bought us back and called us sons
O' grace how sweet the sound
We run into His safe embrace
No shackles, free, unbound


Remember on this day His name
A name that has restored
This lost and wretched heart of mine
Sweet Jesus I am Yours

Active Faith

Ok Christians.  I am now going to talk to myself while addressing you.  When did our faith become dead?  I mean do we believe the gospel to be true?  Do we believe God to exist?  Do we believe He has given us victory over sin?  Do we care?  Is who we are just people identifying ourselves as Christ followers and at the same time NOT trusting Him?  IS OUR FAITH REAL?  


The question is: what does that even mean?  Here's my take....


If I truly believe that Jesus has given me the ability to live out the fruit of the Spirit then it is evident in my life.  Do we lack victory over sin and the lies of the evil one?  Then I would challenge that we don't really believe what we claim.  The facts don't change.  God's power doesn't change.  His word doesn't change.  WE change.  We let the fog of deception cloud the ever present reality of the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.  We ignore the truth of God's victory over sin.  Dallas Willard said:


"Faith today is treated as something that only should make us different, not that actually does or can make us different.  In reality we vainly struggle against the evils of this world, waiting to die and go to heaven.  Somehow we've gotten the idea that the essence of faith is entirely a mental and inward thing."


Faith is active.  You struggling with believing  a lie?  ACT in faith to counter it.  You having trouble overcoming sin?  ACT in faith to gain victory.  See it's not just a fist clenching, teeth gritting, push through it alone experience.  The missing element to every aspect of Christian faith(and I mean every) is action.  We have become a self centered church, and by self centered I mean it is always about our needs or failures or shortcomings.  Yes these issues are important.  But I wonder how much more victory we would experience in our own lives if we actively obeyed the two greatest commandments: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 22:37-39 ESV).  


The tricky part is knowing what that action looks like.  I think a great place to start is focussing on someone else.  Pour into and encourage someone besides you.  This is no easy task as we love to look inward.  But I know that Jesus didn't call us to just be self evaluators.  We love God, and then Others.  I don't see love Me anywhere in those commandments.  


I encourage you, trust that you are forgiven and that sin in your life is defeated.  And then live a life of active faith.  You can do it cause Jesus said you can do all things through Him. 


 HE gives you strength.  

All to Him I Owe

A haunting sound
A deep lament
Sorrow comes
Tears well spent


On our knees
A bloody mess
An outward cry
To make us less


Blood was spilled 
On our behalf
We lie beside
His mighty staff


We're not the same
White as snow
Not what we did
But who we know


It's finished now
I am made new
Forever His
I belong to You.

Truth

Asleep amidst the billowed fog, an ever growing sea
Of lies and words to ease all pain, but let the pain just be
If truth is told in whispered tones, please closer to my ear
It's only truth I wish to speak, all I wish to hear.
If gazed upon the lies become a false reality  
That lingers till the shadows cast, become a part of me
But softly in my ear I hear a word I used to know
This simple truth is shouting now and telling lies to go
So easily I turn astray, so easily deceived
But I hold tight to what I know, the truth I have received.

Question:

       What is it that drives us?  What keeps us going?   Why do we continue on, knowing that pain is coming?  Sure we expect good times.  We know that there will be seasons and even just mere moments of pure happiness.  To sit back and look at our lives and evaluate.  Is life a collage of disturbing, horrid gut-wrenching agony?  I wonder how many sit in their rooms at night, thinking, musing, and contemplating the things we face as human beings.  We suffer.  We go through unspeakable atrocities of mind, body, and spirit throughout our short existence on earth.  We feel physical pain. We grieve loss of those we love and endure with family even when the anguish is not ours to bare.  We let people give into addiction, self-mutilation, and suicide.  We hurt those we love, sometimes by accident, often on purpose.  We watch and laugh at the humiliation of others.  We manipulate, antagonize, and dismiss in order to feel better about ourselves.  We cheapen love and substitute intimacy.  We murder, lie, torture and abuse.  We scream in silent agony when someone rejects us.  We bury our past, and gamble our future.  We let apathy dictate our priorities.  We control and seduce, break hearts and crush dreams.  We are selfish, arrogant, petty, and sinister.  We let fear guide our steps.  We use hate to push others away so we don't have to be accountable for our actions.  We are weak, impatient, short-tempered, and small.


SO, WHAT HOPE IS THERE FOR US?


The answer is simple.  So simple that it's hard to believe.  There is one Hope for us.  Only one.  But one is enough.   

Jesus.

    "And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
    And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment."
   
(Revelation 21:3-6 ESV)

You Might be Anti-social if....

blog

  [blawg, blog] noun, verb, blogged, blog·ging.

noun

1.

a Web site containing the writer's or group of writers' own experiences, observations, opinions, etc., and often having images and links to other Web sites.(dictionary.com)

I find it really interesting that this idea and phenomenon of "blogging" has been increasingly sweeping the world.  And if in fact if you are reading this, you are participating.  But think about it... blogs are designed so individuals or groups can "express" something.  Perhaps an opinion on some socially debated issue, or the sharing of an experience...or  just a collage of pictures people view and comment on...This is the simple concept behind the almighty blog.  

Now, think about the social implications of this form of communication.  Well, let me ask this question...is blogging an outlet for the people who are just really boring in person to person conversation?  Am I so dull that people would rather read my ideas, or see some picture I posted, so they don't have to go through the grueling process of watching my lips move, and act interested? 

OR

Perhaps blogging is designed for those people who are socially awkward (I can say this because I am blogging...).. Maybe I'm to weird to socialize with "normal" people.  Maybe the fact that I even type out my thoughts so others can read them makes me an outcast.

The question remains: Are we becoming isolationists in our society due to technology and the "benefits" therein?  Probably.  

Consider:  Dating websites, Facebook, Twitter, Online shopping(groceries too!), Youtube, Vimeo, Google plus etc.... The Internet has made it possible for us to live our entire lives without interacting with another human!  Tsk, tsk... And here comes the irony...ready for it?

YOU'RE READING MY BLOG!!  Ha!  In this blog I have accomplished two things.  Number 1: I have expressed propaganda against the rise of technology.  And number two (which nullifies number 1) I have used said technology to do it!  Man I'm a hypocrite!     

Uh oh!  Someone is coming up to talk to me face to face!  Gotta bolt!   

The War Unseen

We strive and wage a war unseen

And through this fight we long to glean

A bit of hope for which we brave

This silent evil whose lies enslave

With cuts and groans and tired hands

We grasp our sword and take our stand

A battle cry we shout the name

Whom others fear and hide in shame

 We shout again and plunge our sword

 A deadly blow to this unholy horde

This mighty name which rights all wrong

 Is uttered now, with love, in song

A melody so rich, so deep

We fall face down and begin to weep

This name that brought such swift defeat

Brings healing now in song so sweet

It rises up and fills the skies

And others hear and turn their eyes

To gaze upon a Father’s face

Full of love, of peace, and grace

For we used to be like those we fight

Until our hearts beheld the light

And from our eyes the scales fell

We drank in deep His living well

 And now to be like Him, whose name

Our dying breath we will proclaim.