Metal Lyics

I'm thoroughly convinced that metal has some of the best lyricists. Here are a few of my favorites.

Extol - Ember
There is a fire to light a sleeping heart
A wish to see the spirit take control
Crush the chains that hold you down
And let yourself be filled with fire
Wake up and realize the dream you've lived
Was set up by the liar
A broken heart, a kneeling soul
The spirit will set you on fire
To give you strength to reach the ones
Who search the truth with a deep desire
Crucifixion of the ego
Death and burial of the old
Crush the chains that hold you down
And let yourself be filled with fire
A broken heart, a kneeling soul
The spirit will set you on fire
There is no spiritual authority
Outside obedience to God
A broken heart is needed to reach this state
Divine encounter with the living God

Living Sacrifice - Distrust
How Could You Know
Running In Circles With Your Eyes Wide Open
It's Not Enough For You To Hear Me Say Things Don't Have To Be This Way
Mental Ascent Will Give You Nothing
Nothing
Bitterness can Become Your Epidemic
Don't Let It Go Away Only You Can Make This Change
Delusion Is An Epidimic
Your Grip
Your Grip Is Firm
Casting Words Into Empty Lakes
Would You Rather Be Blind
Don't Let It Go Away Only You Can Make This Change


Zao - Pudgy young blonds with lobotomy eyes
Pudgy young blonds with lobotomy eyes
Keep their fingers down their throat to attract all the guys
Who will drug them at bars and take them home to his friends
She'll wake up the next day and she'll do it again
Vomit yourself into the social shining spotlight
Pudgy young blonds with lobotomy eyes
Get fat shoved in their chests and sucked out of their thighs
And your new broken nose will look so good when it mends
Worship MTV, watch and worship the trends
Queen of the congregation at a wax museum
Sit and rest at the feet of your airbrushed deity
Follow
Obey
Fall into the crowds
Falling faster
Blind
You're blind
Roll your eyes
Follow and just pretend
Your life is a shallow fleeting trend
Your life is so shallow

"Calvinism, Arminianism, & Creditism?"

This guy gets down and dirty in the details...he even has a chart!

He makes some good points

Reponse to 'pro-creation'

My apologies to the user 'Pro-creation.' I didnt see your comment on the article I posted in February until now.

you said:
I agree with you about our inability to choose. However, I would go further to say that once the Holy Spirit empowers us to choose, we must choose Christ. This is because it is His purpose to convict us of sin (John 16:7-11). This conviction leads us to repentance and subsequent faith. Even that faith is the gift of God (Eph.2:8-9)....

I agree that we must choose Christ in that we as humans are created to make such a choice, and when given the freedom to, by the giving of the Holy Spirit, we are driven to choose Him. Therefore, making salvation dependent on His choice not ours.

John 16:7-11

7"But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.
8"And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment;
9concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me;
10and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me;
11and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.

Conviction is the realization that there is a standard of good(not only established, but also defined by God) and that one has gone against that standard. A man cannot come to this realization without the Holy Spirit (Ergo, Christ stating above the advantage of the coming of the Helper). Having the Holy Spirit, and being therefore convicted, a man is then able to repent. Although, I do not think that faith is result of repentance but that repentance a result of faith.

Free will, Election, and the Difference between Will and Ability.

Ephesians 1:4-6

4just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him In love
5He predestined us to (P)adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,
6to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

Can a man as a fallen being and one who is not good (for only God is good) choose good? choose God? And if so, why do we need the Holy Spirit? Is there an argument for Arminianism that does not undercut God's sovereignty?

I Propose that God elects/chooses b/c we cannot in our fallen state choose Him, we are simply unable in our sinful nature. Some may ask, 'what about free will?' Free will was spent on sin in the Garden of Eden. It was given to humans as the pinacle of creation, and it was tossed aside in a trade for deception and disobedience. Then, b/c God loved us, He sent Jesus as the Second Adam, the second one who had the ability to choose to sin and the ability to choose not to sin (which without the Holy Spirit we do not have) and chose, all His time on earth, to not sin, and then suffered the consequences of a sinner for sinners. And b/c He did this:

John 5:21-23

21For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. 22Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, 23that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father.

and further:


John 5:24-27

24"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. 25I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. 26For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself. 27And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.

Can a man of flesh and sin hear the Word without God first evoking a change in him?


Also:

John 6:61-65

61Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, "Does this offend you? 62What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! 63The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit[e] and they are life. 64Yet there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. 65He went on to say, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him."

A man WILL not go to the Father through Christ simply b/c he CANNOT until God changes that man.

Are we then robots?? Forced into salvation, into love? Are we not robots NOW? Due to our lack of ability to choose God, are we not robots? Slaves to sin?(as Paul says) Are we not freed for freedom?(Gal 5:1) Freedom to choose Christ, b/c He first chose us? By God choosing us we are given freedom to choose Him. Are we then able to deny Christ in His election of us? We men might be able to reject the Holy Spirit for a short time, we can run...but we cannot hide from Him. I do not think we can deny Christ completely b/c once the Holy Spirit has penetrated our souls we cannot stop God from choosing/seeking God. Therefore, it is HIS choice that saves, not ours.


What about witnessing or evangelism? Why should I try to spread the Word? What's the point if God chooses?

2 Timothy 2:9-11

9for which I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal; but the word of God is not imprisoned.
10For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory.
11It is a trustworthy statement:
For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him;

Our work, our seeking out others as believers has a small role as exhibited here by Paul. We belong to Christ, and we are to act for His purposes. Granted, if we do not, this will not stop Christ's purpose or election. Just as Paul does we should count it as a great honor if Christ chooses to work through us(having the Holy Spirit) for His Divine purposes.


What about responsibility for our sins and hell?

Acts 2:22-24
22"Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know--
23this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death.
24"But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.

Peter says that God predetermined Jesus' deliverance to death, but also holds responsible those men who handed Him over. in the same way the men whose wills are not broken by God will be held responsible for this.


This might be all my opinion. However, I think this is what the scriptures say...not me.

What is righteous anger?

John Gill says the following about Psalm 4:4:

That is, stand in awe of God, and his righteous, judgments; be afraid of him, and tremble before him; make him your fear and your dread, and go on no longer and proceed no further in sinning against him. The Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions, render it, "be ye angry, and sin not"...There is an anger that is sinful, when it is without a cause, or exceeds due bounds, and is not directed to a good end, and is productive of bad effects, by words or deeds; and when it is soon raised, or long continued; and there is an anger that is not sinful; when it arises from a true zeal for God and religion; when it is kindled, not against the persons, but sins, of men; and when it is continued to answer good purposes; as the good of those with whom we are angry, and the glory of God, and the promoting of the kingdom and interest of Christ;

Similarly, his comments on Ephesians 4:26 are:

There is anger which is not sinful; for anger is fouled in God himself, in Jesus Christ, in the holy angels, and in God's people; and a man may be said to be angry and not sin, when his anger arises from a true zeal for God and religion; when it is kindled not against persons, but sins; when a man is displeased with his own sins, and with the sins of others: with vice and immorality of every kind; with idolatry and idolatrous worship, and with all false doctrine; and also when it is carried on to answer good ends, as the good of those with whom we are angry, the glory of God, and the promoting of the interest of Christ: and there is an anger which is sinful; as when it is without a cause; when it exceeds due bounds; when it is not directed to a good end; when it is productive of bad effects, either in words or actions; and when it is soon raised, or long continues

Matthew Henry writes the following regrading Ephesians 4:26

This is borrowed from the LXX. translation of Ps. iv. 4, where we render it, Stand in awe, and sin not. Here is an easy concession; for as such we should consider it, rather than as a command. Be you angry. This we are apt enough to be, God knows: but we find it difficult enough to observe the restriction, and sin not. "If you have a just occasion to be angry at any time, see that it be without sin; and therefore take heed of excess in your anger." If we would be angry and not sin (says one), we must be angry at nothing but sin; and we should be more jealous for the glory of God than for any interest or reputation of our own. One great and common sin in anger is to suffer it to burn into wrath, and then to let it rest; and therefore we are here cautioned against that. "If you have been provoked and have had your spirits greatly discomposed, and if you have bitterly resented any affront that has been offered, before night calm and quiet your spirits, be reconciled to the offender, and let all be well again: Let not the sun go down upon your wrath. If it burn into wrath and bitterness of spirit, O see to it that you suppress it speedily." Observe, Though anger in itself is not sinful, yet there is the upmost danger of its becoming so if it be not carefully watched and speedily suppressed. And therefore, though anger may come into the bosom of a wise man, it rests only in the bosom of fools. Neither give place to the devil,

and on James 1:20 he says:

20. It is as if the apostle had said, "Whereas men often pretend zeal for God and his glory, in their heat and passion, let them know that God needs not the passions of any man; his cause is better served by mildness and meekness than by wrath and fury." Solomon says, The words of the wise are heard in quiet, more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools,

The bolded portion of Henry's comments is, in my opinion, really what these verses and the verses listed in my previous post are trying to get across. But if there is no righteous anger unless it is anger against sin can a man alone in his flesh be angry at sin and therefore be righteously angry? And if not then can righteous anger really be attributed to man at all?

Being that scripture says that no man is good(Mark 10:18, Luke 18:19) I posit that a man can only be righteously angry if it is God's anger made manifest in the man by His Holy Spirit. Just as a man's desires and views change as he abides in Christ so does the direction of his anger change from people to sin. Thus making more sense of James 1:20 saying that the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.

...at least that's what I think right now ;)

Be angry...or uh, I mean don't be angry

My wife and I are going through the Book of James together and recently came across James 1:19,20 which says:

19This you know, my beloved brethren But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger;
20for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.

From verse 20 the question I am forced to ask is, "Does the anger of God achieve His righteousness?" I would say Yes, it does. How can His anger NOT achieve His righteousness?

The next question I want to ask is then, "Since the anger of man does not achieve God's righteousness, is man's anger therefore wrong and sinful?"

Scripture has the following to say about anger:

Galatians 5:19-21
19Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: (A)immorality, impurity, sensuality,
20idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions,
21envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Colossians 3:8
8But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth.

Ephesians 4:31
31Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.

I might be said about the first passage that only 'outbursts' of anger are sinful, and that how one handles anger is dependent on if it is sin or not, however, the latter two passages seem to say that all anger and wrath are sin.

I think a comparison is in order. One between anger and another emotion that is a result of our sinful state yet is not sin in itself. I choose sadness. How are sadness and anger different? How is sadness good and anger not good? Sadness accomplishes pity which in turn can result in love. How can anger result in love or anything positive?

There is also another verse regarding anger that says:

Ephesians 4:26
26BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger,

There two things I want to point out about this verse. First, there are two different Greek words used in the verses listed. The word used in the verse above is orgizo, and the word used in the other verses listed is orge, the definitions for which are listed below

3709. orge or-gay' from 3713; properly, desire (as a reaching forth or excitement of the mind), i.e. (by analogy), violent passion (ire, or (justifiable) abhorrence); by implication punishment:--anger, indignation, vengeance, wrath.

3710. orgizo or-gid'-zo from 3709; to provoke or enrage, i.e. (passively) become exasperated:--be angry (wroth).

The noted difference between the two is (a)provocation and (b)passiveness. So Ephesians 4:26 refers to a provoked passive anger or exasperation whereas the other verses such as Ephesians 4:31 refer to good ol' regular anger as we know and love it.

Secondly, Paul is supposedly quoting Psalm 4:4 in Ephesians 4:26, which reads:

Psalm 4:4
4Tremble, and do not sin; Meditate in your heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.

In Psalm 4:4 the psalmist is saying tremble with fear,...not anger. This leads me to ask if Paul REALLY is quoting Psalm 4:4, or if there is corruption, etc. I also think that Paul might have been using the Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) but I'm not sure that would make sense since Paul was an ex-Pharisee. I have found a Greek Septuagint online, but copying and pasting words into Lexicons does not work so I'm not sure what the definitions of certain words are.

LXX

Until these questions about Ephesians 4:26 and Psalm 4:4 are figured out I'm not really sure, but if I had to draw a conclusion right now, I would say that anger is indeed a sin....more to come soon, I'm still doing reading

Christianity vs 'Well established science'

This article is referring to this comment posted on Victor Reppert's blog.

First I want to state that I agree that "It is the mark of a true Christian to show 'faith seeking understanding' and to be intellectually honest with respect to science and learning." Mr. Walters says this, however, as if there is a vast difference between intellectual honesty regarding science and learning and theological or even Biblical honesty. Nevertheless, this is a small matter.

What I really want to address is the following: "If as Polkinghorne says we see science as a manifestation of our being made in the image of God we should certainly "study to show ourselves approved unto God" and accept the well-established results of science, including evolution and the latest results of neuroscience."

The reference to 2 Timothy 2:15 is, in my opinion, abused here. The KJV is used, and I do not think that "study" is the more accurate word to use, nor is it, if it were to be used, to mean "study" as we mean study. I think the NAS and HCS are better Bible's to use here, which translate the word "be diligent." It is an exhortation to maintain and more importantly to show one's pursuit of righteousness by having righteous works. Not to study books and pursue intelligence. Am I saying the Bible does not condone or even that it admonishes the pursuit of intellectual integrity? of course not. However, this verse should not be used as an appeal to show that we can show ourselves approved to God by studying.

I do not think that science is a manifestation of our being created in the image of God. Rather I see science as a way to know and more importantly glorify God by exploring His creation. His image is projected by us more so by our emotions, and by love in the giving of ourselves, and by our souls, and by our minds. It would not be prudent to interpret the latter in the list as pursuing intelligence. We must have a mind to understand the law and law is to show us our sin. We need a mind to know God's law, and to obey it...or not to.

Lastly, the inclusion of evolution with the "well-established results of science" is ambiguous. As it has been stated before historical science(or origins science or forensic science) is truly based on best-guess. Why is evolution the best guess? And why should it be presupposed that Genesis is 'creation myth?' Is it because it doesn't agree with the secular uniformitarian time-scale (along with many other aspects of secular science but uniformitarian geology is always touted as fact by even certain theologians)? I contend that evolutionary theory is not the result of science but of science gone bad just as sin is the result of the pursuit of good in the wrong way.

Into The Da Vinci Code

Ben Witherington - The Da Vinci Code Movie---Are you ready to Rumble?

Bishop of Durham,Tom Wright on the resurrection and The Da Vinci Code

and most importantly, why we should care:

Jason Pratt's thoughts on The Da Vinci Code and Dan Brown

Unselfishness for the sake of love, or love for the sake of unselfishness?

When I first started reading Lewis' The Weight of Glory the ideas stated in the very first paragraph were, in my opinion, both amazing and really common sense.

If you asked twenty good men to-day what they thought the highest of the virtues, nineteen of them would reply, Unselfishness. But if you asked almost any of the great Christians of old he would have replied, Love. You see what has happened? A negative term has been substituted for a positive, and this is of more than philological importance. The negative ideal of Unselfishness carries with it the suggestion not primarily of securing good things for others, but of going without them ourselves, as if our abstinence and not their happiness was the important point. I do not think this is the Christian virtue of Love. The New Testament has lots to say about self-denial, but not about self-denial as an end in itself. We are told to deny ourselves and to take up our crosses in order that we may follow Christ...

--C.S.Lewis; The Weight of Glory

This to me was so amazing because the principle of self-denial is something that I encounter every day (Which is not to say that I succeed in denying my selfishness every day). However, it is usually, as is said above, self-denial as an end in itself. I don't ever really think about the fact that self-denial itself is purposeless and that self-denial for the purpose of raising another is the purpose. One definition of love could be: "Making another's highest good my highest goal." The goal and the end is another's good. My self-denial is only a part of the means to attain that end.

The ease of favored sin and matters of free will

(Just a forewarning: I have the feeling this is going to turn into a long essay.)

Sin and the rejection of sin is and always has been a matter of will. Our will. We make choices primarily based on desire. One might argue against this by saying, "What about when we do things we do not want to do? For example, a child cleaning his room after being told to when he would rather go outside" The child, though he desires to go outside has a conflicting desire that trumps this. The desire to obey his parents. Or his desire to not get spanked or otherwise punished for disobeying. The fact is that all of our choices are based on our desire whether it is a conscious desire or subconscious one.

Sin, by definition, is the rejection of God's way and the acceptance of our way...The way of the self. In some instances it is easy to reject sin and go God's way because our predominant desire is the same as God's way. For instance, I have no trouble avoiding getting drunk because I hate alcoholic beverages and think that pretty much all of them taste like I would expect battery acid to taste like. So, because I desire not to drink these things it easy to avoid drunkenness. However, when our predominant desires oppose the way of God that is when sin can more easily creep into one's life. I have an incredibly hot fiancee. I would love to be able to have sex with her....a lot. However, God's Word makes it quite clear that premarital sexual relations are not good. Thus, premarital sex is a much more difficult sin to overcome because I desire this so much.

We must choose. We must prioritize as a child subconsciously prioritizes. Is our own desire a higher priority than God's desire for us? or vice versa? Why?


Romans 9:18-23(NASB)

18So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He ^(AJ)hardens whom He desires.
19^(AK)You will say to me then, "^(AL)Why does He still find fault? For ^(AM)who resists His will?"
20On the contrary, who are you, ^(AN)O man, who ^(AO)answers back to God? ^(AP)The thing molded will not say to the molder, "Why did you make me like this," will it?
21Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use?
22What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much ^(AQ)patience vessels of wrath ^(AR)prepared for destruction?
23And He did so to make known ^(AS)the riches of His glory upon ^(AT)vessels of mercy, which He ^(AU)prepared beforehand for glory,

I posit that we do not think about why we do things enough. Why we make the choices we make, why we prioritize in the manner in which we do, etc. An obedient child recognizes parents' authority. Do we recognize God's authority as not only Heavenly Father, but also our Creator and one who determines what is good and right?? This the ultimate question in regard to sin. This is the question that is answered when we choose either to reject sin or to reject God.

There are two choices God and the self. We make our choices and prioritize in the manner that we do because we either want to glorify God or glorify the self. One might argue, "What about when a person loves [so called love] a person so much that they practically worship that other person. This is not glorifying self, but it might be glorifying God right?" Wrong. God wants us to worship and to follow only Him. He wants us to love and to put others above ourselves, but devote more time and energy toward another person or people or thing than to God is to deify that thing or person and to make them/it an idol. "What about Mother Teresa? She devoted all of her time and energy to other people in a loving manner." Here is where I think the matter gets sticky. There is a line that is thin in appearance between doing things for others as an act of worship toward God(Mother Teresa), and doing things for others as an act of worship to one's self or to that person. Mother Teresa devoted her life to others because she saw Jesus in all others. She devoted her life, therefore, to Jesus not to people. She chose God over herself. She chose to serve Christ.

There is no justification for sin other than God's glory. [you just said "what?"] All things exist for the glory of God, even sin. What if God let people who glorify themselves through sin live? What if he allowed atrocities such as the Holocaust and the murders and tortures committed by Saddam Hussein in order to make His own glory known to those whom He chose to reveal it to?

i.e.:

22What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much ^(AQ)patience vessels of wrath ^(AR)prepared for destruction?
23And He did so to make known ^(AS)the riches of His glory upon ^(AT)vessels of mercy, which He ^(AU)prepared beforehand for glory,

19^(AK)You will say to me then, "^(AL)Why does He still find fault? For ^(AM)who resists His will?"


20On the contrary, who are you, ^(AN)O man, who ^(AO)answers back to God? ^(AP)The thing molded will not say to the molder, "Why did you make me like this," will it?
21Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use?

I'm ready...

I'm ready to be more broke than I've ever been before, I'm ready to work harder than I've worked before, I'm ready to have fights and work through them, I'm ready to be so downtrodden that i have no other choice but to go to God and know that the Holy Spirit in me can do all things, I'm ready to be married and recognize even that this state of 'readiness' itself is not actual readiness, but is faith. It is knowing that God is with us, & that we are born of Him for Him.

John 1:12-13
12But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,

13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

this girl I know

So, I'm getting married to this girl who is...I think the best adjective I can think of to describe here is: mine.

But really the main reason I love her is because she isn't first mine, she belongs to Jesus first, and me second. And that is why she is going to be my ideal girl, my perfect fit, & my lovely wife.

Proverbs 31:30
30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.


...I love you Brandie

Devotions

the following are a couple of devotions that I wrote for the purposes of a weekly young adult ministry event in Memphis called The Loop.


Proverbs 2:1-5

1 My son, if you accept my words
and store up my commands within you,
2 listening closely to wisdom
and directing your heart to understanding;
3 furthermore, if you call out to insight
and lift your voice to understanding,
4 if you seek it like silver
and search for it like hidden treasure,
5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord
and discover the knowledge of God.

This passage is a single, elaborate If/Then statement. It is a statement of cause and effect. “If you accept my words…” What does it mean “accept my words?” Does it mean simply to read the words on the page and take them in and meditate on them for a while? I think it means to take the words into your inner self and let the Holy Spirit, Who is all God, catalyze a reaction that yields a knowledge and understanding of truth that only those that let this occur inside them know. It is a mere matter of will. “IF you will accept my words…” One can simply choose to, you know. But the call is to not just choose to accept but to call out for these things which God gives freely. What will you choose today as you collect your keys, wallet, and coffee, things that are a part of your daily life, and walk out the door to school or your job? Should God & His words not be a part of your daily life also? Shouldn’t we allow the Holy Spirit to take the Word and produce in us the fullness of knowledge and understanding that is the mind of Christ manifest in us? Why should we do this? Why His way? We must call out for these things because the ‘effect’ is so great. “Then you will understand the fear of the Lord…” Fear, really, is a type of reverence. It is recognizing that, that which you are afraid of has a degree of control that you do not have. The fear of the Lord is to recognize that He is the Great I AM. The fear of the Lord is knowing that He has control over all those other small aspects of life that we are afraid of. Fear of the future? What fear? God IS my future. He determines my direction. He determines when. He determines how. He IS why. Think about why you are where you are in your life currently? Is it because of fear of failure? Is it because of fear of you parents or friends? Is it because of fear of drugs or lust? Are you where you are because you have understood the fear of the Lord? If not, then change where you are. He has given you the power to choose Him and live as if you recognize Him as your Lord.




Matthew 9:27-29

27 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed Him, shouting, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!”
28 When He entered the house, the blind men approached Him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I can do this?”
“Yes, Lord,” they answered Him.
29 Then He touched their eyes, saying, “Let it be done for you according to your faith!” 30 And their eyes were opened. Then Jesus warned them sternly, “Be sure that no one finds out!” 31 But they went out and spread the news about Him throughout that whole area.

The blind men already knew. They knew Jesus could make them see. That is what Biblical faith is. It is not blind trust, it is knowing. Do you know? Do the recurring patterns in your life reflect this knowledge? “You are currently living to the highest potential that the recurring patterns in your daily life will allow.” To change these patterns is to change your current life. To replace the bad habits/patterns with good habits/patterns is to improve your current life, and vice versa. It is a matter of conscious choice. Do you choose to know and to respond to this knowing in the daily patterns of your life? Do you choose to reject this knowing and instead to choose the lie that your current life is as good as it gets. To choose this is to say ‘ignorance is bliss.’ To know Jesus, and to know that He is who He says He is, and to know that He can do all that He wants to do for you is to choose a life that is free from the bonds of having to constantly seek ‘the better life.’ Christ IS the better life…He is the only life.