Holding Fast to the Word of Life

Quick Thoughts: Genesis 3, 4

Definitely behind on my reading schedule already! But that's OK. It's only January 11th.

Genesis 3:8 “..and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden…”

Don’t we all hide ourselves from the presence of the LORD? It might not be that obvious in how we do it. We might not literally hide. We may still go to church, go to fellowship, go to meetings…we still wear our cross and we don’t do things that bad people do. Yet in all are goodness, we hide from God – we hide from the presence and intimacy with God. We hide in our TV watching, we hide in our hanging out, we hide in our game-playing. And God is seeking us, and sees us, but we turn our eyes away, partly because of shame and partly just because we don’t care.

But that’s no life to live – a life spent hiding from the One who loves to seek us. O God, help us to repent and turn away from our idols and safety nets, help us to stop hiding from you. Turn to us and be gracious to us. Change our hearts so that we might be drawn to Christ…drawn to You.

Genesis 4:9 “Am I my brother’s keeper?” - I think this applies not only in the context of Cain and Abel, that is Cain’s coldhearted killing of Abel out of jealousy of Abel and anger towards God.

This rhetorical question implies that God says we are all our brother’s keeper. And we are responsible for one another. Our relationship should not be marked by polite civility..interaction at comfortable distance. There is rawness, and intimacy, a required proximity of life if we are to be our brother’s keeper, if we are to be sharpened as iron sharpens iron, if we are to be encouraging each other daily to press on.

New Wall Decoration

I took this idea from Tim Keller, who would say inaudibly to his congregration before he preached, "You are not my peace." He recognized that he had really longed to be liked by his people, but needed to find his peace in his acceptance by Christ and not by the approval of his congregation.

I've found that I've subtly been placing my peace and hope in internship prospects. Somehow I feel that if I get internship X, all in the world will be OK, that I will have peace.

I know this is untrue.

And so as I apply to each internship, as I walk into each interview, I will say, "You are not my peace - Christ is."

Jesus, you are the hope of the world.

[reflections on today's reading]

We didn’t need the death of all evil men.

We needed the death of a holy man, in whom there was no evil.

He became the ultimate and final sacrifice for our transgressions. He bore upon his shoulders, all the evil that has been done and will ever will be done

The world’s hope doesn’t reside in the death of evil people, but the death of a holy man…who crushed death and evil itself by coming back to life and giving us life.

Jesus, you are the hope of the world.

Crushed and

Crushed and rushed

Where is my portion

I’m sinking in these waves

Blown and tossed

But here I’m held

Forever firm

Obliterated violently

The remains of my heart

Hears faint whispers

Painful flashbacks bring

Back painful flashes of

Agony repeats

Reminded of that

Terrifying word I never

Say but You are it

Unshakeable suddenly

Gripped unrelenting

unrealistic redemption and

she disappears fades

Agony repeats

Crushed and abandoned

He became my portion

O how he loves

Me so

[Nathan Albiston]

Advent Conspiracy

Saw this from my buddy Tony Lan

Missional vs. Evangelistic

Encapsulates some of my deep hopes for my home church, RCCC.