innovation

is the new or different idea always better than the idea that "has always been"...?

way too easy

it is way too easy to forget how much God has done for us...

way too easy...

test of belief

i heard a quote during a sermon in the PTS chapel yesterday that cut right to my heart. Lyle Watson, a PTS senior, referenced a quote by a former Professor Diogenes Allen when he said, "if you believe in a command, then it will judge you."

if you truly believe in a command...

that assumes that you are exposed to the command and that you believe that the command has authority in your life. furthermore, the source of the command, the Bible, must also be believed to be more than a collection of genres of literature that have pieced together for the benefit of the Christian community. the Bible must have real authority in your life and/or the community's life.

i can honestly say that i haven't felt judged by commands recently. i think that shows that i do not believe in them and that, in turn, shows that my belief in the Bible has been disrupted.

a return to a belief that the Bible is the witness of God revealed in Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit and that it has authority in life will, in turn, resurrect the judging power of the commands that are in it.

some things never change and Hebrews 4:12 continues to not return void to God "for the word of God is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow, it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."

emptiness

life is scheduled. life is full. life seems to be incorrect if stress is not always heightened (we even drink coffee to increase our stress).

addiction flourishes whenever there is no time for emptiness. we are intimidated by silence, intimidated by inactivity. the addicted person tries harder to fight his or her addiction but the most effective way to resist an addiction is to make room for emptiness in life.

when is the last time you felt empty?
when is the last time you embraced silence?
when is the last time you felt empty?

God's grace shows up in emptiness. God's grace is the only "way" out...