Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Experiencing the Gospel Daily

"The wise believer learns this truth early and becomes proficient in extracting available benefits from the gospel each day."    -Milton Vincent "A Gospel Primer"

The quote above is referring to the idea that God has not just merely given us His Gospel to embrace it and be converted but actually so we could live in it's riches everyday. Vincent explains that we can do this by focusing on components of it's truth daily (grace, love, joy, kindness, mercy, etc...). One of the components of the Gospel message that jumps out at me is "His grace". Knowing that I deserve a fiery hell and the fact that I get to live in a beautiful country with an amazing family with tremendous opportunity makes me feel so joyful (you choose the description, baseball, career, church, etc...). This helps me to focus on what can be, or what is possible as opposed to what isn't possible and what is not. Have you ever been around somebody who focuses on what isn't available or what isn't going to happen? Yeah! Call the bullpen and bring in the new arm right? It's exhausting and worse than that is that it sometimes creeps up on you and sucks you into it. A good friend of mine always would say you're either a fountain or you're a drain, there is no in between. Which do you want to be? Better yet, which do you think would bring glory to God?


P.S. If anybody is looking for a knew track to listen to pick up "My Shepard" by Justin Unger. It will get you if you let it.

Be blessed...
Jules

Monday, February 18, 2013

The Christian "Mean Streak" in Self-Control"

"There is a mean streak to authentic self-control... Self control is not for the timid. When we want to grow in it, not only do we nurture an exuberance for Jesus christ, we also demand of ourselves a hatred of sin... The only possible attitude toward out-of-control desire is a declaration of all-out war... There is something about war that sharpens the senses... You hear a twig snap or the rustling of leaves and you are in attack mode. Someone coughs and you are ready to pull the trigger. Even after days of little or no sleep, war keeps us vigilant." -Ed Welch

This isn't violence against other people. It's violence against all impulses in our selves that make peace with our own sin and settle in with a peacetime mentality. I'm thankful this morning for all my brothers that keep me sharp in my battle with temptation. Iron sharpens iron!