Taken From the Journal

"It had been a while since the reality of the cross impacted my heart. Since an understanding of the brutality of the cross has shown to affect emotion.

"Henry Scougal is right in saying, "Faith hath the same place in the Divine Life, which sense hath in the natural, being indeed nothing else but a kind of sense or feeling persuasion of spiritual things; it extends itself unto all Divine truths; but in our lapsed estate, it hath a peculiar relation to the declaration of God’s mercy and reconcilableness to sinners through a mediator; and therefore, receiving its denomination from that principal object, is ordinarily termed, ‘Faith in Jesus Christ.’"

"Both emotion and the intellect should be engaged in faith. For while one or the other will be primary both ought to be present.

"Because if faith is simply based on swinging emotionalism there is no knowledge or wisdom thus the person is stupidly ignorant. But if faith is a mass of knowledge and has no outlet the person is witlessly unwise and heartless, beating people with knowledge as though he wielded a battle-axe.

"So I must have both."

Moving Forward

So, I've been working on this next series of posts (Check out a lil more on The What Nots page).

Thus, most of the mental capacity has been pushing in that direction and until that's written and being posted I'm not sure how many posts will be coming around. But there'll probably be these types of posts, ones chronicling my mind as I write this piece.

It’s a treaties I suppose. One wherein many of the feelings I’ve had for many years are finally being drawn out. Then it was about the prosperity gospel (If you want to read a terrible post from years ago, you can – but I don’t recommend it). Now it’s something much more.

Like I said, “for some years my mind has both raged against and worked through these issues and topics. Yet now, after years of intense learning (being a pastor will wreck you & build you) and the gracious development of God in my life and soul, I’m at a place to start writing.”

At least that’s how my journal reads.

I’ll need prayer, that’s for sure. ‘Cause I’m still young and still dumb. But I hope this next series is beneficial to all who read them, in any capacity at all.

Friday Thoughts:

1) I don’t remember anything that happened this week cause all my attentions been in my thoughts…

2) Focusing on something does 2 things 1) makes it worse, 2) gives you dumb ideas

3) I had bacon once this week – therein lies my problems

4) Barrowed a book

5) In semesters past I took “mental health days” I can’t do that this semester.

6) In Christ Alone…

7) Ever feel like you have no idea what you’re doing, like at all?

8) Rain, rain, you can stay. Forever.

9) If I don’t write it down don’t expect me to remember it.

10) I’m a journal-er, I journal. It’s therapy.

Friday's Ripped from the Journal: The Coming Storm

Everybody wants encouragement. I’m okay with making that sweeping generalization. In some capacity or another each one of us desires to be validated in what we’re doing or saying or where we’re going. In fact we’ve got terms specially designed to describe it when folks are “fishing for a compliment.”

But what about when encouragement comes and you’re not looking for it or fishing for it, what do you do then?

Isn’t it sweeter than those placid compliments you went digging for, to find encouragement in a place you didn’t expect? Or when the exact phrase you needed to hear is said, but you didn’t know you needed to hear it until it was said. Or even when there are no words at all, just a bird chirping or the rain falling or the rolling thunder – there’s encouragement in them too.

Maybe that’s the issue. We look to hard for encouragement, when the world around us is teaming with reasons to take heart and stand strong.

I’ve never thought about it like that. How would things change if instead of dying to find what I think I need I simply look at what is?

How would we be different?

If the bird can sing as the storm begins then perhaps a soul should still feel joy when the suffering starts.

Friday's Ripped from the Journal

(A couple of weeks ago I read something in my journal which I thought interesting so I posted it. So, welcome to the inaugural post of "Friday's Ripped from the Journal" anything's game here, so it could be down right weird or upright funny, or simple confession of sin, there's no telling. Thoughts, comments, or anything you think of while reading you should post as a comment. We could have some neat conversations. Enjoy!)

"Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness. If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it will be wholly bright, as when a lamp with its rays gives you light." Luke 11:35-36

Often it is asked, “How do I be a light?” or “How can you be more of a light?” For many think it is what you do that makes you exude light in dark places. So in response to these questions people go to bars and don’t drink beer to be ‘a light’ or hang out with friends and don’t cuss to be ‘a light.’

But it is not what is done or not done which makes someone illumine a dark place it’s the feeling persuasion of the heart and head, the conviction or deeply rooted intent of the person, which makes them a conduit for glory.

Many men of old did and said things which modern “pop-Christianity” would find astonishing. Yet “pop-Christianity” is changing, moving from one set of systems and philosophies of thought to another. And while the system and philosophy is not an issue, the heart is. For if the system is seen as paramount in the realm of importance than there is no light in a dark place.

It is thus reasonable, no reasonably important that our motives, our reasons for doing something are being checked in a constant continual fashion. For while it is not wrong to abstain or partake on their own merits, it is wrong to not why you’re doing what you’re doing.

The intent must be sought out, and by the grace of God it will be the glory of God.

(The above picture is by Steve Coleman more can be seen here)