The glory of Christ

I started readiing John Owen's book "The Glory of Christ" today. It's stunning when a man comes along and rips the rug out under your feet to get your attention. The glory of Christ is the inheritance of the saints, the privledge of the pilgrim here sojourning on these desert drifts. Why spend strength on lesser joys? As I read those words and I feel sudden jerks on my chest, as if God snagged my heart with a hook and is pulling me to the surface. Wake up o sleeper. Wake up soul. Behold the glory of Christ.

timmy tired

I just took this picture of myself with my cell phone. I am this tired right now.

But sanctify Christ in your hearts. Set Him apart in your hearts. As I was thinking about this, another verse came to mind, "Whom have I in heaven but you, and earth has nothing I desire but you." There are other joys in heaven, relationships to kindle, experiences to enjoy, scenery, wonders and old fellowships - yet whom have I in heaven. The psalmists counts them all a loss compared to having God.
Although my heart has many desires, Christ should be sanctified apart from them all. Unparallelled and as if all other desires and pursuits are rubbish.
In the context, don't be afraid of what others will do, rather sanctify Christ in your heart by your hope, then be ready with the backhand because you will be asked the reason for the hope you display.

As good as it gets

Christian living apart from the Spirit.

Still

There are those of us who open our own backs with our tongues; we lust to scratch the tickle of blood as it drips. Self-condemnation is a diseased whore we christians frequent; knowing the fungus hurts us, but with a perverted love that we are getting what we deserve.
God so loved the world. This world that loves money and hates him; yet still He loves it. Why, then, do I have a hard time believing He loves me? God loves me.
Borderline spirituality disorder. Invent negative thoughts God must be having about me and live in condemnation because it is just so uncomfortable to be at peace soemtimes.

Be still my soul, for the Love of God has found you.

In class today a group was presenting on JW and how to interact with them professioanlly in the hospital. There was a widespread facade of 'tolerance' and a feeble attempt at understaning, but since most facades are made of wax, they typically melt when a person gets hotheaded. Whispers hopped around the room about how ridiculous it was that these people refuse bloof transfusions and the like. All of this greatly fristrated me, even though I probably disagreed with the JW worldview more than most of them, and I asked, "What if they are right? What criteria do you use to determine whether something is true or not? And if you don't have criteria, on what basis are we calling their beliefs foolish?" It was something like that, I don't know. I just get so angry sometimes about how foolish we are. Everyone's into demolition, but if you ask them how to construct they point to a crumpled pile of discarded blueprints in the corner.
It made me feel like a sojourner. Funny thing is, though, I didn't say anything particularly "christian", just logical. I don't know, you just get the feeling people aren't into talking about stuff like that. But we are all like sheep. Each one has wandered off his own way, looking for gree grass and pasture, not trusting that the Shepherd knows the way. "For we wee continually straying like sheep, but now we have returned to the shepherd and gaurdian of our souls" Im so glad my soul has a gaurdian. One who oversees me, is responsible for feding me, leading me and protecting me. I belong to Him, I am his posession. All of these analogies about sheep makes me wonder, "really? why would anyone act this way for a bunch, let alone one, of dumb sheep?" I guess the same logic could be applied to humans.

You get what you pay for

If you call on the Father who judges each man's work impartially, then conduct yourselves with fear during your stay here; because you were not redeemed from the wrath of God with trinkets of gold and silver, but with the precious blood of Christ.

Fear and hope flow from the same fountain: fear prevents us from falling away from hope.

There are no personal considerations with God; He does not receive face or allow backstage access with VIP card. Often I have the frightening reminder that I fall victim to the same ignorant pride of position the Jews in Jesus' day fell for when they said they had Abraham as their father. They rested on laurels and Christians can do the same when we foolishly think we will receive a sideglance wink from God after he warns the others of pride, yet we are somehow exempt on the basis of our sonship.

There is such danger in not reflecting on the price of our redemption. In this verse, understanding the price God paid is the impetus to our living in holy fear.