the acquaintance of grace, part 1

charbroiled

distinct-

ively har-

d

to swallow

diminished melody

tender and

visceral

(strum, strum, strum, ...

perception

alterations

Made

to the dusty dress.

perception AS

a bee sting

the most beautiful thing you could ever hope for.

Do not shout,

Like.

elder brother of prodigal one.

like, abide

banana colored sailboat

in the middle of kansas

during hurricane season

placed.

the good pleasure of

the goodKinggave:

it touched the top of my head

violently and

sweetly

like a first kiss

etched magnificently

into the marrow.

whispered majestically,

"your doing is

your undoing,

child."

the earth awry.

the viper abdicate.

sounds of poor

abject

but blessed

souls

sounding

hallelujah tunes

scattered about my premises

was the remarkable

lay in the reins

i truly believe this can be a life-changing thing.

i'm pretty sure this is from c.s. lewis:

"Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control."

Proverbs 25:28

The contemporary church is plagued with problems of self-discipline. Sinful behaviors have infiltrated our congregations possibly at unprecedented levels. One reason self-control is such a problem for so many Christians is that it feels like a work of the flesh. We are told to live Spirit-filled lives, so we become passive. We have incorrectly assumed that any effort on our part is "works", a product of the flesh and a symptom of legalism. We end up with a faith without works, and as we find out, that kind of faith is dead.

Self-control is perhaps the most confusing of all the fruits of the Spirit. How can it involve the self and the Spirit at the same time? If it's self-control, how can it be Spirit-control? It can't. But, contrary to popular teaching, the Bible never tells us to be controlled by the Spirit, at least not in the sense that we lose our personality and will. We are to be born of the Spirit, filled with the Spirit, led by the Spirit, inspired by the Spirit, and sealed by the Spirit. But we are not controlled by the Spirit. The Spirit enables us to have self-control.

A lack of self-control will cause us to neglect necessary disciplines like prayer, Bible study, contemplation, evangelism, and more. It will also cause us to indulge even godly desires in inappropriate ways. A lack of discipline distorts work, sexuality, entertainment, nutrition, and stewardship of time and money. If our lives were compared to an ancient city, self-indulgence would be the weakness in our walls. Erosion will eventually cause our protection to collapse and allow our enemies to raid.

The uncontrolled life squanders God's treasures--spiritual and material--and invites attack. At all costs, let the Spirit empower to learn self-control. It is the key to managing all other fruitfulness.

holy reinstatement

I just finished a great book today by Martin Smith, the co-founder/lead singer of a band called Delirious?. I won't rant too much about how much I loved the book (which I did), but instead I'll just mention one small part of the book towards the end that really stuck with me.

"When all around is moving and shifting and the future is uncertain, there's no need to panic. If we find Jesus we will be so enthralled, so content that we'll forget that we're in transition anyway. If we have Him inside our lives, then the good we worried about will lose its appeal in the light of His face [...]. In the same way, I'm learning that God doesn't want my voice--He just wants my heart. He just wants me [...]. When we put down our desire to impress God and allow Him to invade our hearts, everything can change."

I hope this resonates with others just as it has with me. That's His will, He just wants us. That's the only thing that matters. If we draw near, He'll do the rest. Sanctification will come; we've got to get to His feet first.

Enjoy the day. Enjoy what's offered. Enjoy the risen King. Enjoy His goodness and mercy and grace.

Let's delight.