Nothing strikes the terror inside of me like the words "Comprehensive Exam." For the past two years of my life, a day rarely went by where I did not remember that those dreadful words in the back of my mind. The Wheaton Exegesis program has been very taxing at times, but today I received a letter in the mail stating that I have come through victorious. Yes, victory has shown its face today!! I have been bruised and battered, but I come through nonetheless. Yes, victory comes to those who remain standing in the end, and by the sheer grace of God, He has held me up and kept me standing.
I now await hopeful news from the rest of my comrades and hopefully all of them, I pray all of them, have made it through the battlefield as well. To all my friends I've met at Wheaton, although we'll most likely never see each other again, you have been my comrades, fighting alongside of me, and praying for me this whole time. We go through battles united, we have been part of the Wheaton Exegesis Program. Fight on comrades, there is a world in need of a message.
Friday, April 27, 2007
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Crucial Choices
Our ability to make choices makes us distinctly human. And unfortunately, our uncanny tendency to make wicked choices makes us distinctly sinful human. So today, remembering that it's our choices that shape our character and lives I pray for a heart that would thirst earnestly for decisions informed by the voice of God. To be still and know that voice, the voice which is still echoing since the beginning of creation. To echo timeless words in a brief life.
There are choices to follow the example set in the garden setting the tone for our wayward nature, providing the paradigm for humanity to rebel and lash back against his Creator. There are paths to pave that only few care to seek, these are the paths which we must care to seek.
If we are bothered by God's voice, then our darkness is choking divine light. If we stand too lazy to pray, read, and contemplate, then we decide that God is not worthy of our time and energy. If we stay where we are, we will suffocate in our overwhelming sin. If we choose not to thirst for the voice of God through His Word, then we choose to live in separation and darkness. Everyday, we face important choices. Some days, days too frequent in number, I must force my sinful soul to stop and remember that I have done nothing to earn the right to live another day. Words of praise and tears of thanksgiving should flow, but instead only careless actions with little overarching awareness flow from my stunted mind. It is the voice of God that I need to allow to speak to my every choice. It is God who allows my cold stumbling soul to live another day and be redirected to the warming light of sanctification.
There are choices to follow the example set in the garden setting the tone for our wayward nature, providing the paradigm for humanity to rebel and lash back against his Creator. There are paths to pave that only few care to seek, these are the paths which we must care to seek.
If we are bothered by God's voice, then our darkness is choking divine light. If we stand too lazy to pray, read, and contemplate, then we decide that God is not worthy of our time and energy. If we stay where we are, we will suffocate in our overwhelming sin. If we choose not to thirst for the voice of God through His Word, then we choose to live in separation and darkness. Everyday, we face important choices. Some days, days too frequent in number, I must force my sinful soul to stop and remember that I have done nothing to earn the right to live another day. Words of praise and tears of thanksgiving should flow, but instead only careless actions with little overarching awareness flow from my stunted mind. It is the voice of God that I need to allow to speak to my every choice. It is God who allows my cold stumbling soul to live another day and be redirected to the warming light of sanctification.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Thou Shalt Not Vomit Up Knowledge and Smear It On Walls
There is something that deserves my attention and warrants my contemplation. Below are the following quotes I find useful while going through some of the LCL, (Loeb Classical Library.) The topic at hand: Digesting what you learned, and not putting undigested food on display and showing your immaturity. I think it's necessary to bring myself back to these important truths. Truth need not be seen spewn 24/7 by a "know it all," but let your knowledge be evident as it oozes out in your life's actions. "Digest and learn," the Lord says to me, for it is the Lord who alone is wise, and it is the Lord who departs His grace and gives wisdom and allows humankind to catch glimpses of reality!
“You must linger among a limited number of master-thinkers, and digest their works, if you would derive ideas which shall win firm hold in your mind. Everywhere means nowhere…Food does no good and is not assimilated into the body if it leaves the stomach as soon as it is eaten; nothing hinders a cure so much as frequent change of medicine; no would will heal when one salve is tried after another; a plant which is often moved can never grow strong.” Seneca, Epistles 2.2-3
“Those who have learned the principles and nothing else are eager to throw them immediately, just as persons with a weak stomach throw up their food. First digest your principles, and then you will surely not throw them up this way. Otherwise they are mere vomit, foul stuff and unfit to eat. But after you have digested these principles, show use some change in your governing principle that is due to them; as the athletes show their shoulders as the results of their exercising and eating, and as those who have mastered the arts can show the results of their learning. The builder does not come forward and say, “Listen to me deliver a discourse about the art of building”; but he takes a contract for a house, builds it, and thereby proves that he possesses the art. Do something of the same sort yourself too…” Epictetus, Discourses 3.21.1-5
“On no occasion call your self a philosopher, and do not, for the most part, talk among laymen about your philosophic principles, but do what follows from your principles. For example, at a banquet do not say how people ought to eat, but eat as a man ought…And if talk about some philosophic principle arises among laymen, keep silence for the most part, for there is great danger that you will spew up immediately what you have not digested…For sheep, too, do not bring their fodder to the shepherds and show how much they have eaten, but they digest their food within them, and on the outside produce wool and milk. And so do you, therefore, make no display to the laymen of your philosophical principles, but let them see the results which come from these principles when digested.” Epictetus, The Encheiridion 46
“You must linger among a limited number of master-thinkers, and digest their works, if you would derive ideas which shall win firm hold in your mind. Everywhere means nowhere…Food does no good and is not assimilated into the body if it leaves the stomach as soon as it is eaten; nothing hinders a cure so much as frequent change of medicine; no would will heal when one salve is tried after another; a plant which is often moved can never grow strong.” Seneca, Epistles 2.2-3
“Those who have learned the principles and nothing else are eager to throw them immediately, just as persons with a weak stomach throw up their food. First digest your principles, and then you will surely not throw them up this way. Otherwise they are mere vomit, foul stuff and unfit to eat. But after you have digested these principles, show use some change in your governing principle that is due to them; as the athletes show their shoulders as the results of their exercising and eating, and as those who have mastered the arts can show the results of their learning. The builder does not come forward and say, “Listen to me deliver a discourse about the art of building”; but he takes a contract for a house, builds it, and thereby proves that he possesses the art. Do something of the same sort yourself too…” Epictetus, Discourses 3.21.1-5
“On no occasion call your self a philosopher, and do not, for the most part, talk among laymen about your philosophic principles, but do what follows from your principles. For example, at a banquet do not say how people ought to eat, but eat as a man ought…And if talk about some philosophic principle arises among laymen, keep silence for the most part, for there is great danger that you will spew up immediately what you have not digested…For sheep, too, do not bring their fodder to the shepherds and show how much they have eaten, but they digest their food within them, and on the outside produce wool and milk. And so do you, therefore, make no display to the laymen of your philosophical principles, but let them see the results which come from these principles when digested.” Epictetus, The Encheiridion 46
Monday, April 16, 2007
Last Monday That Matters
This Monday is the last Monday before the competency exam. I told the Mrs. yesterday how my body and especially my legs had been super sore for the past several days. I told her I didn't know what it was from, because I hadn't run for the past 4-5 days, and prior to that I was hitting around 35-45 weekly mileage running. So, not knowing what was going on with my body, because usually my legs feel quite fresh after taking consecutive days off running, she told me she thought it was stress from thinking about the compentency exam so much. Whatever the deal is with my body, I would like to see it end, cause it actually kind of hurts, quite ridiculously in fact. Only a few days left that matter, and we'll if I fail miserably again at life and fall flat on my face. I'm such a privilaged person, living in America in our day in age, and yet I still wish to be a big baby and consider these past couple years of my life to be a brutal beating emotionally, mentally, pyschologically, and physically. However things turn out, I think this experience proves I'm a weakling.
Too early to think of anything brilliant to put on here, so I'll leave you with something I was contemplating a couple of days ago. A lesson I obviously I have not yet learned. A man was told to fill up his vessel with water. As soon as he finished doing it he was told to look into the basin and report what he saw. He explained that he saw nothing. Then he was instructed to wait until the water ceased to move and look again. Looking again into the basin, this time into the undisturbed water, he reported that he saw his own face distinctly.
Too early to think of anything brilliant to put on here, so I'll leave you with something I was contemplating a couple of days ago. A lesson I obviously I have not yet learned. A man was told to fill up his vessel with water. As soon as he finished doing it he was told to look into the basin and report what he saw. He explained that he saw nothing. Then he was instructed to wait until the water ceased to move and look again. Looking again into the basin, this time into the undisturbed water, he reported that he saw his own face distinctly.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
We Prayed for a Different God
12/31/06: When we are honest (yesterday's prayer was written on 12/31/06 as well.)
We hide the truth that dwells in our hearts,
The truth, if exposed, would reveal that we are extremely discontent with You and Your ways,
We are suffering and in pain, but You do not change the situation,
We are frustrated and angry because You aren’t as we had hoped,
We pray for a different god,
We pray for a god who would change our circumstances,
But You, Your Suffering Servant Son and the grieving Holy Spirit will not change our situations,
We pray for a god who won’t allow the continued hurt,
We pray for a god who will take away our pain,
But You are not in that business,
You allow the pain, the hurt, the suffering,
You allow it all to stay day after day after day,
This all compounded only leads to further frustration and anger,
You, Your Suffering Servant Son and the grieving Holy Spirit will not change our situations, and we are supposed to praise you for this suffering?!?!
We have a severe problem in our hearts,
We try to hide the ugly truth of the numerous things we hold against You,
But the problem is that You are the master of uncovering all hearts,
Nothing stands masked, everything is in Your presence,
We secretly wish for a different god, a god who is “nicer” to us,
All we feel is the pain of the fallen state,
The pain we inflict upon ourselves, and the pain others inflict upon us,
It is hard to like You, but easy to hate You,
Truth be told, we wish we could trade You for a different god,
How is that for truthfulness, how is that for honesty, how is that for being right from the heart?
We do not like what You do, and we do not like how You do it,
Somehow we are to praise You and all Your ways, yet we have trouble doing anything but the complete opposite,
We are too weak in our sinful condition to do anything but hate You, but we hope by Your grace that You will enable these dark hearts to pray,
We can only pray for Your help in repentance and Your help to enable us to praise,
In this rage, eyes of faith have long ago been forgotten,
We can only pray with weak and feeble voices, mouths that open, but cannot even make a sound,
We ask for our transformation when the Holy Spirit finally breaks through to our heart,
We ask for our transformation because we know You often times will not change our situation,
We ask this in the name of Jesus who knows how hard it is to cope with life and still live a life of sacrifice and praise.
We hide the truth that dwells in our hearts,
The truth, if exposed, would reveal that we are extremely discontent with You and Your ways,
We are suffering and in pain, but You do not change the situation,
We are frustrated and angry because You aren’t as we had hoped,
We pray for a different god,
We pray for a god who would change our circumstances,
But You, Your Suffering Servant Son and the grieving Holy Spirit will not change our situations,
We pray for a god who won’t allow the continued hurt,
We pray for a god who will take away our pain,
But You are not in that business,
You allow the pain, the hurt, the suffering,
You allow it all to stay day after day after day,
This all compounded only leads to further frustration and anger,
You, Your Suffering Servant Son and the grieving Holy Spirit will not change our situations, and we are supposed to praise you for this suffering?!?!
We have a severe problem in our hearts,
We try to hide the ugly truth of the numerous things we hold against You,
But the problem is that You are the master of uncovering all hearts,
Nothing stands masked, everything is in Your presence,
We secretly wish for a different god, a god who is “nicer” to us,
All we feel is the pain of the fallen state,
The pain we inflict upon ourselves, and the pain others inflict upon us,
It is hard to like You, but easy to hate You,
Truth be told, we wish we could trade You for a different god,
How is that for truthfulness, how is that for honesty, how is that for being right from the heart?
We do not like what You do, and we do not like how You do it,
Somehow we are to praise You and all Your ways, yet we have trouble doing anything but the complete opposite,
We are too weak in our sinful condition to do anything but hate You, but we hope by Your grace that You will enable these dark hearts to pray,
We can only pray for Your help in repentance and Your help to enable us to praise,
In this rage, eyes of faith have long ago been forgotten,
We can only pray with weak and feeble voices, mouths that open, but cannot even make a sound,
We ask for our transformation when the Holy Spirit finally breaks through to our heart,
We ask for our transformation because we know You often times will not change our situation,
We ask this in the name of Jesus who knows how hard it is to cope with life and still live a life of sacrifice and praise.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Still You are Here
Despite the fact that we are an evil people, You are still here.
Despite the fact that we try to make you a different God, You are still here.
Despite the fact that we will have nothing to do with You, You are still here.
Despite our hurtful thoughts that dwell deep within, despite the hurtful actions that are clearly seen by You, You are still here.
Although we fantasize that You would be different, You are still here.
Although we do not bid You the time of day, You are still here.
Although we blow You off, You are still here.
Despite our not so secret desires to change You into a God that suits our fancies, You are still here.
Despite countless days of rebellion, You are still here.
Despite all that we are, You are still here.
Although we repeatedly cast You out from our hearts, You are still here.
Although we have caused you endless pain, You are still here.
Although, although, although, despite, despite, despite, You are still here.
All of this, our entire lives, only proves how much more You are a God above us.
You are a God of holiness, and yet You are still here.
For some reason, You have decided to still be here.
Despite the fact that we try to make you a different God, You are still here.
Despite the fact that we will have nothing to do with You, You are still here.
Despite our hurtful thoughts that dwell deep within, despite the hurtful actions that are clearly seen by You, You are still here.
Although we fantasize that You would be different, You are still here.
Although we do not bid You the time of day, You are still here.
Although we blow You off, You are still here.
Despite our not so secret desires to change You into a God that suits our fancies, You are still here.
Despite countless days of rebellion, You are still here.
Despite all that we are, You are still here.
Although we repeatedly cast You out from our hearts, You are still here.
Although we have caused you endless pain, You are still here.
Although, although, although, despite, despite, despite, You are still here.
All of this, our entire lives, only proves how much more You are a God above us.
You are a God of holiness, and yet You are still here.
For some reason, You have decided to still be here.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
RFP
There is a thing that runners call "RFP" when competing in ultramarathons. I think that the physical and mental demands of running long spills over into the rest of life which can be used quite easily. RFP is relentless forward progress and I think it is something which I can remember as I move through these last difficult weeks of graduate school. As long as you're moving forward, you're successful no matter how you're looking.
Life is about training the body and the mind.
Life is about training the body and the mind.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Thought of the Day
From the mad runner Dean Karnazes. This guy is amazing.
"Somewhere along the line, we seem to have confused comfort with happiness."
"Somewhere along the line, we seem to have confused comfort with happiness."
Saturday, April 7, 2007
Bringing Perspective to Two Years
In the midst of the seemingly senseless memorization of vocabulary, paradigms, grammar and syntax rules, the Exegesis program at Wheaton will hopefully in the end help to steer me to a cleaner and clearer picture of God. There is frustration as I try to re-learn all the foreign languages components that have slipped away since my beginning languages courses. Instead of me thinking and coming to a fuller picture of God and His Word, I again focus my mind to memorize paradigms, etc. that will slip away again shortly. It downright angers me that so much of the past two years of my life has been spent trying to cram and memorize language that slips away ever so quickly, rather than focusing my time learning about God. Now with the end of my time at Wheaton coming to a close I have not grown like I should, and the program has not changed me and developed in me as I had hoped. No, I don't blame Wheaton, it's a good place, and the Exegesis is a good program (kinda, especially if you know the languages before entering the program), it is my fault and my problem I take full credit for the blunders, it's been a rough two years which is not over yet.
So, how to move on from the bleek. God changes and grows us in ways we do not yet fully know or understand. I think a little more, and am slower to talk now before the Almighty Lord. I take this as a good thing. I stand in awe of His ways more, leaving me speechless.
I think one of the best incites I have learned (props to Dr. Walton) came in thinking about the story of Abraham sacrificing his son Isaac. In short what I learned goes as follows. In Abraham's life (prior to Gen 22), each time God tells Abraham to give up something and follow the Lord's lead, the Lord in turn says He will give Abraham something. Example: Leave your country and God will make you into a great nation, etc (Gen 12:1-3). [sidenote: and isn't it interesting that in our day we say, leave your metaphorical "Ur", you will enter into relationship with God, and God in turn will give you heaven.] However, the Gen 22 sacrificing of Abraham's breaks the mold in a very distinct way. This time Abraham is to give up his son, and there is no direct gift that God will give Abraham in return. Long story short, the point is, God asks Abraham, if you have nothing, no son, no great nation, in a foreign and strange country where the Lord has brought you, and you have nothing left but the Lord, is this enough for you. Prove it by killing your son.
So, I ask myself this to bring me closer to the Lord, and I challenge you frequent ask this to yourself as well. If you have nothing to show for your years, nothing at all, will you still be content with the Lord? For Abraham, it was the covenant blessing, this was his all in all that he must be willing to say does not matter in light of communion with the Lord. For us, it is nothing short of salvation itself. God is not asking us to give up and kill our son or our daughter. God is asking about heaven. Would you follow God if you get nothing in return? Or do we follow God only because of what we get in return? For Abraham, he would leave his land, and have hopes to be a great nation, killing his only son, he would destroy all of these hopes. For Abraham, he made the statement, he would kill his son, and if it turned out that he was only left with God, it would still be enough. How about me and you? If evangelism was not driven by heaven talk all the time, and heaven this and heaven that in our evangelistic conversations and we didn't dangle God's gifts in front of everyone all the time, where would we answer in our hearts? God could've taken away Isaac, and bam, Abraham would lose all his hopes and his dreams. But Abraham new the true value of having a relationship with the Lord, and in fact loved the Lord. What about us? If there was no heaven, and God said just me and you, is your relationship with God enough for you? Are you satisified with only having God? Would you still follow God, or do you only follow because you want His gifts?
In thinking about this weighty issue, my 2 years in the Exegesis program, success or not, whatever standards we go by, competency exam past or not, $20,000 plus down the drain, and part of my sanity lost, I at least have these thoughts in my mind. And for me, and I think for God's larger plan for my life, I by faith say that it was worth it. And because of my reflection of Gen 22, a closer more honest relationship with God for it. ...No more son for Abraham meant no covenant blessing, meant nothing to show for his life, meant in leaving Ur all he had to show for his life was a gained relationship with God. Is this enough for me? No gifts, no heaven, nothing to cloud the picture. God asks, "Would you be content if all you had was Me?" When I walk away from Wheaton, however I come out, at least I'll still have life and Sovereign God.
Finally, would we kill heaven, would we give up heaven if God asked for that sacrifice? Do we love God, or do we just love heaven?
So, how to move on from the bleek. God changes and grows us in ways we do not yet fully know or understand. I think a little more, and am slower to talk now before the Almighty Lord. I take this as a good thing. I stand in awe of His ways more, leaving me speechless.
I think one of the best incites I have learned (props to Dr. Walton) came in thinking about the story of Abraham sacrificing his son Isaac. In short what I learned goes as follows. In Abraham's life (prior to Gen 22), each time God tells Abraham to give up something and follow the Lord's lead, the Lord in turn says He will give Abraham something. Example: Leave your country and God will make you into a great nation, etc (Gen 12:1-3). [sidenote: and isn't it interesting that in our day we say, leave your metaphorical "Ur", you will enter into relationship with God, and God in turn will give you heaven.] However, the Gen 22 sacrificing of Abraham's breaks the mold in a very distinct way. This time Abraham is to give up his son, and there is no direct gift that God will give Abraham in return. Long story short, the point is, God asks Abraham, if you have nothing, no son, no great nation, in a foreign and strange country where the Lord has brought you, and you have nothing left but the Lord, is this enough for you. Prove it by killing your son.
So, I ask myself this to bring me closer to the Lord, and I challenge you frequent ask this to yourself as well. If you have nothing to show for your years, nothing at all, will you still be content with the Lord? For Abraham, it was the covenant blessing, this was his all in all that he must be willing to say does not matter in light of communion with the Lord. For us, it is nothing short of salvation itself. God is not asking us to give up and kill our son or our daughter. God is asking about heaven. Would you follow God if you get nothing in return? Or do we follow God only because of what we get in return? For Abraham, he would leave his land, and have hopes to be a great nation, killing his only son, he would destroy all of these hopes. For Abraham, he made the statement, he would kill his son, and if it turned out that he was only left with God, it would still be enough. How about me and you? If evangelism was not driven by heaven talk all the time, and heaven this and heaven that in our evangelistic conversations and we didn't dangle God's gifts in front of everyone all the time, where would we answer in our hearts? God could've taken away Isaac, and bam, Abraham would lose all his hopes and his dreams. But Abraham new the true value of having a relationship with the Lord, and in fact loved the Lord. What about us? If there was no heaven, and God said just me and you, is your relationship with God enough for you? Are you satisified with only having God? Would you still follow God, or do you only follow because you want His gifts?
In thinking about this weighty issue, my 2 years in the Exegesis program, success or not, whatever standards we go by, competency exam past or not, $20,000 plus down the drain, and part of my sanity lost, I at least have these thoughts in my mind. And for me, and I think for God's larger plan for my life, I by faith say that it was worth it. And because of my reflection of Gen 22, a closer more honest relationship with God for it. ...No more son for Abraham meant no covenant blessing, meant nothing to show for his life, meant in leaving Ur all he had to show for his life was a gained relationship with God. Is this enough for me? No gifts, no heaven, nothing to cloud the picture. God asks, "Would you be content if all you had was Me?" When I walk away from Wheaton, however I come out, at least I'll still have life and Sovereign God.
Finally, would we kill heaven, would we give up heaven if God asked for that sacrifice? Do we love God, or do we just love heaven?
Friday, April 6, 2007
Always in Need
We are always in need of newness,
We are always in need of Your forgiveness,
We are always in need of Your mercy,
We are always in need of You,
We stand desperate for Your grace,
We stand in need of Your light,
We are always in need of Your teaching,
We are constantly in need of You,
It doesn't matter how old, how mature, or how wise we think we are, we will always be in need of You.
In our frustration to understand certain Scripture, one thing always remains clear. We are always in need of You.
As the years grow on and we learn more about Your son, we realize that we are always in need of Your Saving Son.
In the mud, in the mess, in the frustration, we are reminded that we are always in need of You.
However we stand, wherever we stand, we always stand in need of You.
The rocks cry out your name, and the fields that wave in the wind whisper it,
The mountain stand as testimony, and the star glimmers faithfully,
All of creation knows its place,
But our souls stand defiant and unwilling to testify to Your goodness,
So we are always in need of Your good discipline to bring us back to reality again.
Our souls stand against you, and refuse with pursed lips,
We are unwilling to budge because we feel that You have directly caused us unnecessary pain.
We feel that You have scarred us unduly,
And we have lists of charges against Your good name,
When with the crowds we say that we love You,
But when alone we want to lash out against Your holy name,
The hurt we harbor is deep and wide,
When we are alone we admit that we really don't like You, or Your ways,
But Your grace overpowers our sinful stubborn souls,
And You cause us to cry out Hosanna, and truly understand.
We look to the resurrection, and the newness of life,
Continue today the good work You have started along ago,
Continue to draw sinful man back into Your arms.
We admit we do not understand Your ways, Your lead, Your path,
We always wish we could have it some other way,
But in the end, not our will, but Yours be done.
So take our dark and dry souls,
Clean out our whitewashed tombs that are beautiful on the outside, but reek of death on the inside,
Bring in Your newness, and bring in Your light,
Help us to give You praise for all of Your ways, and not just for Your ways that we traditionally like.
Take the dead and brittle bricks from buildings vacant and old, and replace them with your people and build your church with living stones.
You are the God, the God who makes us new.
And we are the people, the people always in need of You.
We are always in need of Your forgiveness,
We are always in need of Your mercy,
We are always in need of You,
We stand desperate for Your grace,
We stand in need of Your light,
We are always in need of Your teaching,
We are constantly in need of You,
It doesn't matter how old, how mature, or how wise we think we are, we will always be in need of You.
In our frustration to understand certain Scripture, one thing always remains clear. We are always in need of You.
As the years grow on and we learn more about Your son, we realize that we are always in need of Your Saving Son.
In the mud, in the mess, in the frustration, we are reminded that we are always in need of You.
However we stand, wherever we stand, we always stand in need of You.
The rocks cry out your name, and the fields that wave in the wind whisper it,
The mountain stand as testimony, and the star glimmers faithfully,
All of creation knows its place,
But our souls stand defiant and unwilling to testify to Your goodness,
So we are always in need of Your good discipline to bring us back to reality again.
Our souls stand against you, and refuse with pursed lips,
We are unwilling to budge because we feel that You have directly caused us unnecessary pain.
We feel that You have scarred us unduly,
And we have lists of charges against Your good name,
When with the crowds we say that we love You,
But when alone we want to lash out against Your holy name,
The hurt we harbor is deep and wide,
When we are alone we admit that we really don't like You, or Your ways,
But Your grace overpowers our sinful stubborn souls,
And You cause us to cry out Hosanna, and truly understand.
We look to the resurrection, and the newness of life,
Continue today the good work You have started along ago,
Continue to draw sinful man back into Your arms.
We admit we do not understand Your ways, Your lead, Your path,
We always wish we could have it some other way,
But in the end, not our will, but Yours be done.
So take our dark and dry souls,
Clean out our whitewashed tombs that are beautiful on the outside, but reek of death on the inside,
Bring in Your newness, and bring in Your light,
Help us to give You praise for all of Your ways, and not just for Your ways that we traditionally like.
Take the dead and brittle bricks from buildings vacant and old, and replace them with your people and build your church with living stones.
You are the God, the God who makes us new.
And we are the people, the people always in need of You.
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Must give all props for that killer "exegeting the banana" clip to Darren for calling my attention to such absolutely stellar material. All I could do not to wet myself from the laughter, as I was screaming with the giggles rolling on the ground. Oh atheists beware when Ray Comfort and his killer apolgetics steps onto the scene all will surely be converted with such a water tight argument. I love Ray Comfort and some of his stuff don't get me wrong, but this....I love this even more !(even if it is for different reasons)
I will leave you with this my friends.
"Almost every natural man that hears of hell, flatters himself that he shall escape it." -Jonathan Edwards
Sweet dreams tonight.
I will leave you with this my friends.
"Almost every natural man that hears of hell, flatters himself that he shall escape it." -Jonathan Edwards
Sweet dreams tonight.
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