Have you ever read something that made you second guess your level of devotion to the Lord? I recently started reading through The Journals of Jim Elliot, and I’ve started wondering if I even know the Lord at all. Ok, that’s probably an exaggeration. But Elliot’s heart for God, his concern for holiness, and his bold prayers challenge my weak faith. He follows a simple model in journaling: he simply reads a chapter in Scripture, finds a point of application, and then prays for growth in godliness. His method isn’t complicated. Even the youngest Christian can follow his format. And yet, by his simple faith and obedience, Elliot models a vibrant walk with the Lord. I’m currently reading through his thoughts on Exodus (which have been incredibly sobering), and I’ve found myself speechless before his testimony. As I was reading through his journal entries, one entry in particular struck me.
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Month: August 2015
The Church
How beautiful the consonance,
The sanctifying resonance,
The Gospel’s holy consequence,
Emerging song from dissonance.
The church, as one, breaks forth in song,
The Savior’s bride, the salvaged throng,
Of her Redeemer, steadfast, strong.
To him, their lives, their loves, belong.
The church is one through him who died,
Diverse in tribe yet unified.
Each branch doth in the Vine abide,
Connected by the Son inside.
All bound to him by faith alone
From ev’ry cont’nent, ev’ry zone.
Each one unique; no one a clone:
The church of God before the throne.
This varied multitude in span
United by the Father’s plan
Beyond the differences of man
Is saved into a holy clan.
The Devoted Doctor and the Perfect Physician
Not long ago, while driving around Austin, TX with a few friends, I noticed that the car in front of us had an Imperial insignia and a Triforce attached to the bumper. I pointed these out to the guys and was immediately called a nerd. When I joked that I had never been called that before, one friend simply responded, “That’s doubtful.” We all laughed because we all knew the truth: I’m a huge nerd. There’s no denying that fact. Furthermore, I always enjoy looking for spiritual parallels in the geekiest of stories. That definitely makes my day. Continue reading
Discipline and Prayer for a New Semester
And so it begins… again. Continue reading
Friday Night Faith and Family
Last Friday night, I left the house where my parents and brother live and headed home to the seminary. As I was driving to the apartment, my parents were driving my younger brother to the emergency room.
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Pluck Your Eye Out
Thoughts on Sin and Salvation
I would rather have the whole world against me and have God with me than have the whole world with me and have God against me. Continue reading
Singleness, Marriage, and Devotion to the Lord
I’ve jokingly referred to 2015 as “The Year of Weddings.” We’ve just recently hit the eight month marker, and, thus far, the vast majority of my friends from college are now newly married, engaged, or are in relationships that are heading toward marriage. As the year goes on, more join that group. Relationships are forming and solidifying on a near epidemic scale. The single boat is apparently sinking, and most people I know are partnering up and jumping ship. Continue reading
For Whose Name’s Sake?
I have a bad habit of wanting to be profound. Whether I’m writing or speaking, I have a desire to say something memorable, something life changing, something people will quote after reading. I know I shouldn’t pursue such things. I know that the movement of God won’t be hindered by my inability to alliterate every point in a lesson. I know all that really matters is whether or not I’m obedient to the Lord. So why does this matter to me so much?
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Matthew 7:21-23
Follower:
Into a converse we now look
Between the Master and a crook.
Relationship the man mistook;
Now caught is he by fatal hook.
as i learn to walk 