Stuff from one of my favorite books

Here's a few lines from "we would see Jesus" by Roy and Revel Hession, one of my favorites and a book that God influenced my life with.

"...on the Cross of Christ. There in [Jesus] we see the whole naked truth about sin, man, and the God with whom each of us has to do. The very scene that reveals the richest and sweetest grace of God towards man also reveals the starkest truth as to what man is. If grace flows from Calvary, so does truth, for both "grace and truth came by Jesus Christ" (John 1:17).
Let us try to illustrate these things at this point. It is by seeing the concern of the doctor, and the extreme measures prescribed, that the patient learns for the first time the gravity of the trouble from which he is suffering. It is by the reading of the severe sentence imposed on another man that the undiscovered lawbreaker, who has been doing the same things himself but thinking lightly of them, discovers how seriously the law regards his offences.
...
So, in like manner, Jesus says from the cross, "See here your own condition by the shame I had to undergo for you."

Food for thought.

No one ever "finds" time - it must be made.

The last few weeks have been a little weird for me. I took a break from school until next spring. I also have very little additional duties at work. So with the little that I have to do, I have learned a few interesting things about myself.


1. Despite my best efforts, I am still a workaholic. I am completely uncomfortable not having "too much on my plate." This is especially true with my job.


2. If I don't have things I have to get done, I am extremely tempted to do things that have absolutely no meaning in them (TV, games, blogging - ha!).


3. Any lack of deep relationship with my family and friends isn't caused by being too busy. It's caused by being relationally challenged. I actually have a very hard time putting down work or activities just to look another in the eyes, talk about life and each other, and being known by another.


4. When I slow and calm myself down enough to relate with others I realize my "business" has made me too busy to know myself. One can't share what one doesn't know.

Thank God for His grace both to reveal my weaknesses and to allow His power to change me.

To Theology and beyond!

I'm starting Theology 201 in 10 days. I got the book and I'm just waiting on the DVDs. I am pretty excited about this course because I like to learn bible facts, doctrine, stuff like that. I used to be a pretty good legalist in my "hay-day." God has changed my life and refocused it around grace and mercy, but I still enjoy theology, apologetics, and biblical study.

Actually, the gorge between legalism and Christianity isn't very wide. It's really just a matter of knowing a bunch of stuff and applying the very same bunch of stuff. I'll definitely advise anyone reading here to go with the latter. Legalism looks good on the outside, but feels cold, sick, lonely, and painful on the inside.

Looking back, I'm amazed at how His grace works non-stop even when we are completely ignorant of it. Even still, I'm pretty sure I'll be relatively ignorant of His grace until the day I die... ignorance is bliss.