I've Been Everywhere, Man

I have some really great friends. The kind that allows months to pass without any form of communication, yet at a moment's notice a phone call, email, lunch meeting, etc. can allow the bond of friendship to rekindle without hesitation. These are the relationships that carry even the most pressed and stretched through to brighter days and calmer seas. Those who attempt to persevere without the cords of friendship often find their reserve dry and their eyes hollow, their hearts in shambles.
It is in this light that Jesus' words find new inspiration: "No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you." (Jn. 15:15)
Though elsewhere Paul openly proclaims to be a servant, here Christ makes the bold and stunning claim that we can join in the bonds of friendship with the Son of Man, the Redeemer of lost souls. The ultimate Comforter for the downcast and broken interrupts our tearful moments; we can look to the Creator of the universe for ultimate rest. We see tiny glimpses of this potential in the joy a phone call or email can bring on a bad day, yet the full force of Comfort transcends these miniscule moments of happiness because true Source is the One who has revealed the Father to us. He has not left us to our own demise, though we sprint toward the gates of hell unless He snatches us from the flames.
The question is, are we HIS friend:"You are my friends if you do what I command you" (v. 14)?

More Thoughts

Today, as I was trying to help a little 7 year old find a baseball glove that worked, I realized that somewhere along the way I got old. Not old in the way a thirty year old would read this and chuckle that I call myself old, or the way a fifty or even seventy year old would read this and probably laugh audibly. I mean old in the way that I reminisce at starting baseball, oh so many years ago. Old in the way that retaining a somewhat athletic physique becomes increasingly harder (though the daunting age of 25 is still a few years away so I'm okay....for now). Old in the sense that the Transformers movie took me back to my childhood, not "oh this is something new." Old in the way that I remember what was going on when kids who are graduating high school this year were born.
I say all this to set up this question. Why, if I realize I am getting older, do I still feel like I have so far to go in the "race" that I am running called Christianity? Yes, I know, what an ever increasingly overused cliche analogy. What with the marathon-not-a-sprint sermon that occurs once a month and is the "Christian" t-shirt of the century. Seriously, though, I feel like I've barely busted out of the chocks and I think I might already have skinned my knees on the track a few times. In a race, one fall and you're pretty much doomed. Sure, I know the truth that I'm a complete failure on my own, God's grace covers my sin because of the work of Christ, and I must find rest by abiding in Christ. Yet I find that my sin nature loves to use those facts against me and cause me to fall in love with doing nothing. Instead, finding faith in future grace should cause me to fight all the more against my own sin and hate all that dwells within me that is not being transformed by the power of Christ.
I have studied and fallen in love with justification to the degree that I might have forgotten about sanctification.
"Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" Romans 7:24-25a

Thoughts

Sometimes God aligns certain textual knowledge to be solidified and reinforced with life experiences. Often these are not the most pleasant circumstances, yet the facts obtained become of far greater value--lessons never to be forgot.

Love is a word tossed around with unsubstantial value in modern culture. Yet love is suppose to be of greatest importance in the bonds of life's most critical relationships. Vows are made on the basis of a fleeting word that has such depth in one context and none in another. Love of waffles and passionate love for a spouse can both be interpreted by the most common of listeners. However, anyone would attest to the fact that one word has a very different meaning. Is the English language so incredibly vague and tormented by a lack of precision? The clear answer is in the positive, yet the true crisis that hounds modern relationships may go deeper.
Obviously, some would argue that many who profess love do not rightly understand the significance of the word. And I believe this to be true to a certain extent. However, the greater misunderstanding is the lack of modern knowledge in the topic of covenant. The covenant of marriage is watered down into an issue of feelings and emotions. The commitment of marriage dwindles without the undergirding of covenant.
In the realm of dating and courtship, the concept of covenant is not absent. Even dating relationships should have in sight the importance of commitment and covenant--not as developed or substantial as marriage, but with the knowledge that relationships have much more to do with the exaltation and glory of the Cross than the fleeting digestive butterflies.
Relationships to the glory of God is a lost concept in today's culture and must be revived in a culture that mocks the Church's lack of fidelity.

Faith in Future Grace

I've been reading a book by John Piper called "Future Grace." The past few chapters have talked about how anxiety and doubt come from a lack of faith in God's sustaining grace. It has sunk into the depths of my heart where anxiety and fear have taken hold. In the midst of reading this, God has provided in immensely overwhelming ways. I anticipate the return of of a certain young lady from the far off land of Niger. Seeing her will be a beautiful thing--to say the least.
I have found a church where I will probably call home for awhile. It has a vibrant young pastor who knows the Word and has a heart for missions that matches my own quite well. I am starting a new job at Dick's Sporting Goods that should be a lot've fun.
Things these days are rapid and exciting. Who knows what God has in store?