The cure ... from then to now till His returning.

The more I realize how much of a work in progress I am, the more I'm comforted by scripture in knowing that I'm growing.

The more I realize that I'm not as good as I want to be, that I'm not as mature as I think I am, that I'm not as holy as I should be, the more I realize that I haven't arrived yet ... That I need Jesus just as much as "this guy" or "that girl" the more I'm comforted at the end of the day that I'm making progress, that He's still not letting go. I'm beginning to distrust my own mind and heart and it's funny because theologically I knew this is what I was supposed to pursue ... correction by the word of Christ ... Yet I rather like my ideas and opinions. I love giving my suggestions. But in the end, they're not at all that impressive ... even if they can fool a few. God, you see right through me. Jesus you expose me. I don't like it most of the time. Matter of fact I often hate that about You if I'm honest, but right now, I thank You ... That You will not compromise Your glory, that You refuse to make your cross dispensable. I need it. My eyes have wandered into foolish pursuits. Keep me standing in this good deposit entrusted. I need your help to correct my thinking, my opinions, my ambitions, my heart. Purify it. This pride is too rampant and You're the only one able to cure this.

Jesus, you have won me over. You were the remedy and You are the remedy. Be my goal till I die and and we see face to face.

-Been going through the sermon on the mount and stumbled upon this cross reference while reading Matthew 5:8 ("Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."):

[The River of Life]
"Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever."
-Revelation 22:1-5

Beautiful. Can't wait. Oh the implications for ... now. Time to get to work.

Main Point

"Oh, everything's too damned expensive these days. This Bible cost 15 bucks! And talk about a preachy book! Everybody's a sinner! Except this guy."
-Homer Simpson

I'm listening to a Matt Chandler sermon as of now while putting up laundry and in it, Matt referenced a quote from the Simpsons and it was really ... profound. After Homer Simpson, ya Homer, reads the bible, he puts it down and concludes: "Everybody's a sinner! Except this guy." Sometimes I forget the main point. And sometimes those like Homer Simpson are the seemingly unlikely guys that get it. Homer nailed the main point. I want to also. "We're all a mess except this one guy." Praise Jesus.

Only Makes Sense.

When the madness of this world collides with the reality of who I know I am behind my my lofty words of religion, behind my resume of what I think is good enough to impress the world, the Bible is the only explanation of life that makes sense in the middle of this madness. When we've been exposed to facing who we've always been afraid to admit we are, Christianity proclaims the story of a rescue mission in the form of a man named Jesus who was good news in the midst of it all. Praise God that when man fell (Gen 3), Christ rose (Matt. 28 - the rest of the Bible) for us, for our justification.

Thank God that He doesn't let me go. Jesus be my treasure.
-Jon

"eh" topic.

Think we're afraid about the topic of death because if we were honest, deep down, we know that we all deserve it. truth is, most of us college kids think that we're indestructible b/c (by grace) we haven't been hit by the reality of death as some of our peers have. Sure we've seen its ugly head take some whom we love ... but the reality for most of us is that (by grace) those closest to us, our family, peers, etc., are still alive and well and we just don't know what it's like. But for those who have dealt with this reality, you know that they know that the penalty of sin is very much still going on ... they've seen it, they've been at the front pews after the funeral service; they've put the flower on the coffin before saying goodbye. They've been the car ride where nothing in that moment can seem to alleviate the pain. They've been in that room where everything reminds them of that someone whom they'll never seen again. And they've gone to the class that is towards their career path but they can't think about anything else but memories of that loved one.

The arrogance of our pre-adult age wants to avoid the reality that it's coming for us. I know for myself it's true and man ... i don't want to waste my life. i tell myself "eh, i've got time" but does my Christianese self really believe that every breath i breathe is a blood-bought gift? I do whole-heartedly believe that I've got a number of years left to go hard, but I have to confess that somehow my pride in this subject reveals that I think He owes me every breath I take. Every one. I start asking ridiculous questions like "God, why am I finding it so hard to breathe right now? How come my body wont let me keep going? I've got 3 more games of basketball to play."

Man, only got one life. I pray that I'd get what Paul's saying in Phil. 1:21. Christ be my treasure. Home is what I'm after but if you have more for me here, help me not waste it.

Sometimes I forget that for God to take my life right now (like f'real right now), He wouldn't be any less loving, any less good, any less worthy of praise. He'd just be just. But He does give me life. And I don't deserve it. Why would He do that?

The easiest route to run.

Religion really is the easiest escape mechanism. Subscribe to enough Christian hollywood blogs, sermons, and conferences, learn their vernacular, read their books, follow them on twitter and youtube and don't be honest with your sin, especially in the midst of your peers who follow them. In the end we'll exchange the truth for a lie. We'd rather choose an appearance of Godliness rather than the real thing. We'd rather have people make much of us in this life now, than stand before God righteous on the day of Christ. We know "enough" of the Bible to know that the life we live is inconsistent at best but we keep doing it for an intense fear of being exposed. We know what's good, right, and leads to life but we choose sin. We choose death. Jesus rescue the religious. There's many traces of all I'm preaching in me and I'm scared that I don't even care.

Etch Galatians 6:14 on this heart.