Coming Soon... A Year in Review

It is a Wednesday morning in the lounge of Hotchkiss and trying to get through my two take home finals with graduation knocking on the door.  It has been a long time since writing on the blogsphere but writing has not stopped with the pen and paper.  This year as whole will definitely be reviewed over but first and foremost I am definitely going to be once again posting.  The summer will hopefully be used primarily for knowing God but somewhere in that I hope to write those thoughts out in way that can be hopefully encouraging and worked through by others.  Until then Love God and Hate Sin...............

After a Week of RA Retreat

It has been a long time since I have posted anything, but i have been thinking about writing and have done some the old fashion way on paper and with the pen. I have been holding off posting writings and type up more writings. I am back at Masters for the semester prob won' t be back until Thanksgiving. RA retreat is over and we have a week of SLS retreat and then WOW week with all the new students and then the grind of school hits. I should be able to start posting some of my writings and writing more often with a little of my time starting to free up a little. I am alive and well and will start posting more often in the next couple of days.

Definitions and Identifications of Life

I should be in constant pursuance of righteousness and holiness and the “My life should be” phrase is not only an aspiration that is never accomplished but rather if I am not displaying the things that I am defined by then I must try to; not for self-righteousness but to ascribe glory to God. This list is not an exhaustive list but rather a list that will be added to and refined over the days and the years so that I never become complacent with whom I am in Christ.

Definitions:

1. (1/1/07) At the beginning of each day determine that the day would be wholly for the ascribing of glory to God and that it would be visibly manifested by me.

2. At the end of the year be able to reflect upon my life and be to go through all the different fruit that was born by the grace of God. Having others review my walk and be able to witness to the fruit in my life.

3. If none is found or that there is a great lack read 2 Corinthians 13:5 and mediate on it and pray through it.

4. That I would have a never ending pursuance of Christ and the Cross.

5. That I would leave with a Pauline mentality of to live is Christ and to die is gain by wholly being an imitator of God.

6. (1/2/07) My life should be defined by seeking every opportunity that is available to preach the gospel of Christ so that the elect may come to a saving relationship.

7. My life should be defined by the exhibition of Christ love to anybody and everybody I should come into contact by speaking less and hearing more.

8. My life should be defined first and foremost by the daily reading of the Word of God so that God can shape me into a man after his own heart.

9. My life should be defined by praying for my family and friends daily so that God would do a great work and the production of fruit in their lives.

10. My life should be defined by praying for the lost individuals that I know well or have had brief encounters with that God would save them.

11. My life should be defined by maximizing my time and not wasting it on things that are idle and meaningless.

Delightful Duties of a Child

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. "Honor your father and mother" (this is the first commandment with a promise), "that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land." Ephesians 6:1-3

A meditation upon Ephesians 6:1-3

This is the area of my life where I fail Christ and exhibit my flesh so vibrantly. I go against directly what I believe and ever so boldly proclaim in that of being poor in spirit. I seemingly will wrap myself in the theology at a positional level with God and not practice it with those who God used to bring me into this world. I use so many excuses and my mouth profusely speaks lies of rationalization. The same lips that have spoken the gospel, preached the word, and pray to God are the ones that disobey and dishonor my parents. I take my Bible literal in all other areas of my life but yet will gloss over this gross sin in my life. This on my head and I must dethrone myself from the thinking I know all or even more than my parents. How dare I do anything but obey and honor if I call Christ my Lord. They brought life to me and so nurtured me in a way that only exhibits love. They have so faithfully provided above and beyond over the years. They have encouraged Christ to me, which if anything my obedience and honor can be found in is that. Their faults and failures are not something that I can hold on to and give reason for my own sin against them. I must focus on my own sin in my life rather looking to theirs so that I feel like I have the control in this area of my life. My own sin clouded my vision seeing what I perceived faults, which were actually acts of love.

This sin of disobedience and dishonor deteriorates the spiritual wellness of the believers because as much as I think this one sin does not affect how I walk in manner worthy it does. How I live my faith out in the home speaks volumes to where my heart is at because it is so easy to disrespect those that are your biggest fans for succeeding in Christ. This sin is working out of the true character that I have and not just a singularity sin that I have to work on. This sin speaks to the fact of my heart being prideful, unthankful, discontent, deceitful, anger, and petty thinking that everybody is here to serve myself. This sin dethrones Christ and places me on His throne, which makes me sick when I realize what I am doing. My disobedience is not only against my parents but just like David and Ananias it is against God. The dishonoring of my parents is not only against them but against the one who created me for His glory, the one who justified me for His good pleasure, and who is sanctifying me for His good purpose. My sin does not please God and my desire must be to please God because that is my true joy.

Obedience and honor of my parents should be a desire in my heart because of my delight in Christ and enjoyment of Him. Christ gave up His life on the cross yes for our sins, but evermore so because it was pleasing to God the Father. My desire must be to constantly deny myself; crucifying the flesh daily in humility so that I seek to serve my parents out of a heart that is full of the joy of Christ. Christ is the focal point of my life; if I do not desire to obey and honor my parents both in thought and in action then how can I ever exalt Christ in that same way. I must apply this in my life; desiring to submit myself to my parent in all circumstances because I know God is going to use them to shape me into a godly man, but more importantly because I long to love them with the affection of Christ. It will be a great joy to humbly obey and honor my parents in the very earthy things of life. I shall enjoy those acts wholeheartedly knowing that I am doing this for His good pleasure. My delight in Him is the wellspring for any motivation of serving my parents and I must thank Christ daily for enabling me to do so through His Spirit. Obedience and honor of parents is not mere orthodoxy but rather a commissioning by God for delight. Obedience and honor of parents is not rooted in dead theology but rather anchored to the foundation of the living Christ, which is laid in His submission to the Father. Delight in both obedience and honor to your parents because of who you are in Christ.

Affections

"For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:8

A meditation upon Philippians 1:8

My affections are so very much absorbed with self. I seemingly love because of the love I must shower on myself. Where are my affections at? Upon the examination of myself I desire to honor and gain honor for myself. Life seems to only be worth living if self is glorified. This affection for self if characterizes ones and more importantly my life it is damning. I must find my affection in Christ alone and thus live a life of constant affirmation of that truth. These affections of Christ are that of and more importantly rooted in humility. Humility has to be expressed in so many areas of my life. I desire and want to have all my affections clothed in that of the humility of Christ.

The word affection has great meaning, catapulting us into thought of our internal organs which should have us understand that affection is something that is deeply rooted in us and is vital to everything that is apart of our daily living. It had an understanding of compassion, kindness but more than anything it pointed directly back to the heart. Paul was encouraging the Church of Philippi that his heart was motivated and led by Christ. He desired to that they would take this letter to heart because he himself had a compassion for them that was solely planted in that of Christ. This word should cause us to think upon why we are kind to others or display compassion to those that surround us. Is the cause of our loving those around us is for the sake of self-exaltation and self-glorification, which is neither love nor proper affection? Our hearts must be hearts that seek after God’s Will and mimicking Christ. Our hearts must enjoy Christ so much more than anything that this world has to offer or that of what our flesh try insists is better. Rather we must examine ourselves internal and pray for soft hearts that groan to be that of Christ. Affection is living a life in accordance with a heart is captivated by something and thus desiring to put on display that something in a manner of exaltation. Our affection has to be that of Christ or we will me self-absorbed man pleasers. Everyone has affections so the examination is on us to see if those affections find their source in Christ.

Paul’s affection for the Church of Philippi was in the likeness of Christ, which Paul throughout his letter constantly illustrated this focus upon Christ by mention him in all areas of his life. Christ was the anchor to Paul’s life and as we read scripture our lives should be in fervent pursuance of being an imitator of Christ which Paul so strived to also be an imitator of. Paul’s affection can be practically boiled down to the understanding that he was making much of Christ because Christ was the center of his attention. Christ did not escape the thoughts of Paul and therefore his actions had to be that of Christ-likeness. The thoughts of Paul were tied directly to the actions of Paul so that his affections were that of an internal motivation that worked its way out in all aspects of Paul’s ministry. We, like Paul must dwell on Christ at all times and pray for thoughts that reflect the One who redeemed us. Paul had affection for the Philippians because his life first and foremost exhibited the exaltation of the person of Christ. He made Christ his life-long pursuit. Paul lived in the knowledge of the work of Christ on the cross and how he died for Paul and that the righteousness of Christ covered his sin. The acceptance of Christ as Lord of his life enabled him to do the work of God here on earth even though he considers himself the chief of sinners. Paul constantly wanted to point others to Christ because Paul knew he was nothing without Christ. Paul longed with the affection of Christ because he had been changed by the gospel of Christ and lived a life with the whole premise of Christ-likeness. We too need to be made low and take our affections off of self and point them to Christ so that we can have the affections of Christ towards others. Oh I how desiring to have my insides burn for the sake of others because of the work of Christ in there lives. Christ needs to be pursued in all aspects of life in order for our affections to be that of Christ. I desire that all believers myself include would have the affections of Christ, which exemplify a life that has be transformed by the gospel of Christ.

Introduction

I must start with the fact that I was filthy and disgusting to God without Christ, but exalted myself in my own heart. I am a sinner that must consistently go to the Lord and seek out his mercy and shed tears knowing that he extended his grace to me who is so undeserving. If it was not for the sovereignty of God and for his election I would still be an idolater, adulterer, liar, and thief that dishonor all and only seeks to honor self. Praise God for Christ and the execution of His plan of the death and resurrection of Christ. Praise God for the blood of Christ and the covering of it over our sins so that we may be found righteous before him. Praise God for the His Spirit that resides in us and allows us to do both will and work of God for His good pleasure.

The mediations that are being written or have been written are about areas in my life that I am purposefully trying to pursue Christ-likeness in them. The topics that are written upon are things that weighing on my heart in many different ways, so I go to scripture and try to lay myself bare before the Lord knowing that being a child of God he desires me to live accordance to His Will. I write because I desire to honor the Lord by putting pen to paper of what I is a burden to my heart so that I maybe an encouragement to others but more so proclaim the living Christ actively working in my life. The different topics that are written upon are directly linked to something that is being rolled about in the recesses of my heart and then sought out in scripture. I desire for my life to be an exhibition of knowing Christ and anticipation of the return of Christ.

The mediations will on things of the Word of God that at times are something that I am not dealing with at a personal level but rather need to think upon in order to prepare myself for. I desire for my all my mediations to be rooted in the Word of God so that I do not lean on my own understandings. God’s Word is so powerful that it is life changing and transforming. I desire that all believers, myself included, would hunger and thirst for it so that they would enjoy Christ. I desire to ascribe glory to God in all areas in my life so I must be in constant examination of self so that I can be in constant pursuance of Him. Hopefully my mediations with exalt your view of Christ first and foremost or aflame a passion that once was there or have you desire to reach the lost because of the knowledge you too were once positional before God the same way. I hope my mediations will cause you to praise God and Him alone because He is the one that is in process of completing His workmanship.

Preface to my writings

These words should reflect my affections for and of Christ, which are being exhibited in my life. These affections can only come from the Word of God and must be something that is constantly being meditated upon in my pursuit of living as a slave for Christ. My writings will hopefully be the outpourings of my inward depths because of the radical change that God has caused in His sovereignty. Being an outpouring of what makes me who I am in Christ and desiring to share that will with all those that would take the time to read so that Christ can be exalted and the Gospel be proclaimed. My desire is for many to come to Christ and know Him in a saving way and for those that are already in Christ that would be encouraged and find strength to keep up the good fight.