Bitter-Sweet

I just recently read a poem by George Hebert and it is true about the life of a Christian. It is true if we would be honest with him. Here it is:
Bitter-sweet
Ah, my dear angry Lord,
Since thou dost love, yet strike;
Cast down, yet help afford;
Sure I will do the like.
I will complain, yet praise;
I will bewail, approve;
And all my sour-sweet days
I will lament and love.

Piper quoted this poem in a book he wrote. I think this is fitting for the Christian that sees himself broken, forgiven, and loved.

JTeverything

When Sun the comes out

The problem with tragedy in the life of the believer is that we are never really ready for what God is going to allow to come our way. Its easy to serve God when everything is going good, but when the storm comes and you can’t explain what you can’t explain that’s when you are developed in your faith. I now have an overwhelming understanding of the power of God in healing and a new perspective of his blessings in my life and to the bystander my faith should be restored and transfixed on the savior. But there is always the "why" question. And there are no easy answers. As a matter of fact the reality that is true is somewhat harsh. And that truth is that apart from Christ we are subject to all kinds of dangers and we are so dead in our trespasses and sin that God is simple trying to separate that which is killing us. Sometimes God calls individuals to himself in such a way that no one can deny that it was him. But when it’s raining your sight is blurred and the vision that you once thought led you towards right and wrong is hindered through the drops of rain we call tragedy. But if there is anything that I’ve learned in life is that rain must fall and it needs to but after the storm has passed the sun will also come out. Darkness, no matter how thick it seems must hide when the light comes. God’s light always exposes the darkness of tragedy that he has allowed for the furtherance of his fame and his glory. It’s not about us, we are merely the instruments used to adorn the glory of God in this world. This world is very dark. But in this dark, cruel, dismal, decaying world there are deposits of light reflecting their Savior, and they break forth in displaying the glory of the Creator and soon all God’s elect will be gathered and light will prevail forever over darkness. I yearn for that day. Come Jesus Come, bring on the Son.

JTeverything

Breathe

Living a christian life is one of unexplainable joy and an unmistakeable awareness of one's sin. The crazy thing about living for Jesus is that the moment you fall into old ways and old habits its very apparent to you. It's funny because it is almost like an out of body experience. The little lie you tell, leads to the covering up of that lie until other more subtle sins lead up to compromising your faith and walk with things or pleasures that you gave up knowing that they don't satisfy. I really think that the stagnant impotence of the church today is from unrepentent and unmistakeble sin that has left us barely breathing as Christians. The power of the Holy Spirit to sustain our life is in overdrive because of our lack to use that same power to abstain and not just be sustained. We are committing suicide, by suffocating ourselves and all Christ asks when we except him is to breathe in him. This world has nothing for me, yet it is pretty distracting nothingness. My career, my status, my life, and my stuff always distract me from the life that Christ would have me recieve in Him. And unfortunately some of those distractions are good things. But they are misplaced trophies, and not the end all of all. There are many Christian brothers and sisters barely alive, because they continue to run after a life that was crucified. We are trying to revive a dead carcass and all the while choking the life out of our current life. I just want to love my Jesus, a fraction of how much he loves me,and just breathe.

May I truly Be In Christ Alone,
JTeverything

Long Time

It's been a long time since I've posted a blog. I guess my life has been so up and down that I'm not sure what to share. I had a previous post called "Newness" and I can assure you we must be careful what we pray, because God is faithful and he will give us the desires of our hearts. This of course follows a grueling transformation process, sometimes or most times we are unawares of the idols in our lives that we mistake for desires. So our God, strips away the idols leaving us naked and truly seeing what we need and thus beginning to desire that which is satisfying for our soul. There are so many things that God hasn't unleased in my life. Probably the same is true for any readers, if I have any readers. But hold tight to your faith, because we serve a God that knows us better than we know ourselves and understands what we can take, and boy oh boy gives us a test of faith that is designed specifically for us. I said I've been through a lot this season of my life and I've been faced with many obstacles. I have a fear of not knowing my future, but God is teaching me that if I hold on to him (because he knows the future) then I have no need to worry. Afterall, he knows what lies ahead. Our life is our witness, and we must speak up and speak out. Seasons of life come and go. But faith gives us the grit to keep going.

Yours in Christ,
JT everything

Looking to Him

God is truly allowing me to hear from him lately and it is such a sobering feeling with all that seems to be occurring in my life. I recently picked up a copy of "Knowing God," by J I Packer and it is a very intriguing look at the life of the person who aspires to know God. I say aspire, because it is a endless journey (yet a good one) to have a desire to "know God." This task should be the livelihood of every Christian. And it's not just about knowledge of God. Because to know God is to be drawn to him in his majesty and his glory. It also involves the experience of God. There is no other place we should rather be than obtaining a understanding of God. Time has no value, and food loses its taste apart from knowing him.
Often since I started this reading God has been invading my sleep. Last night he spoke and the verse came to my mind, "God is not a man that he should lie, nor the son of man that he should change his mind. Does he speak and not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?" This verse is located in Numbers and it is an explanation of the character of the one we serve. He is indebted in faithfulness to his people. Not because of us, but because of his word to us. God promises. God fulfills. I am so glad I know him. I don't completely understand his will, but his character is sure and I can trust him. I look to HIM.

JTeverything

Newness

The new year has come and newness in American is very apparent. Some of the societal ills that have plagued this country has been confronted with hope, and a new vision for change. However, this new vision for change does not come without trials. As a christian one has to understand that there will always be trials or storms if you will. But our eyes are not to be fixed on those storms, but on Jesus. As I grow in my relationship with Christ I am perplexed at the storms that I find in my life, but I am also amazed at the provision he provides and the ways of escape.

Its a new year for new mercies with a new understanding of God. The Word says, "that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." May I learn to have a reverent fear for God that would drive our complacency this year. I pray that I grow exponentially. I will trust in him, and his Word so that whatever comes my way I'll be safe within Him.

Jteverything

Some Chip on my Shoulder

Well this post may not be very informative about the ways of God and man. I just think it will be a little of my rambling. So I was confronted today while I was watching a clip of a documentary "Jesus Camp." And while watching the guy that works here says that he sees nothing wrong with it while proceding to give me a diatribe of his influences in the church camp world and the products of the "jesus movement" of his day. I don't know how we got there, but I proceeded to ask numerous questions about, "If they were so changed in his day, 1.)where is the residue of his movement, 2.)why is it he blames the culture now of the area he lived (Denham Springs) in on all external things except that movement he was a part of, 3.)Did all involved in said "movement" become impacted by this movement and if not, why. I don't know how it got here, but it did. And I was left with unanswered questions, yet the answer to those questions are so abundantly clear.
The title was because he said that I had a chip on my shoulder and he had nerve to say he reached this assumption because I walked out on a Debate "they" not me were having about the current political structure. Firstly, I must admit I do have what Dubois called a "Veil". I have lived with it all my life and all individuals of color have this 'veil' and we pray to God that we can just get home or to comfort were we can be ourselves behind that 'veil'. Its not easy smiling when you are raging mad. I just want to be out of this sin filled body, world, etc. So I can be where there is perfection. Jesus offers that perfection and frankly I probably need to be a little more repentant of the way I approached the situation. Do I have a chip on my shoulder. Probably do. Do I want this chip, absolutely not. But here I am.
The sad thing is in the midst of all this no one said anything. I guess it was probably a stupid argument anyway. I need to pray, but so does everyone in that so called jesus revolution so that they could understand fully what God has called us to. Not a life of isolation from a tainted world. But he has called us to be "salt" and "light". We've got so far to go, and we've come so far also. But he still ticked me off.