first John

so, i have been reading in first John tonight and i must say i just love it. i do not think there is any other book we can go to and see God lay out what it means to be "in the faith". not only do we get a rich definition of Christendom, we also get a lot of "if this" "then this", meaning if you do this one thing the out come will be this other thing. leaving nothing to question and clearing up one issue after another. we see John talking about Love, and the new birth, as well as sin and perseverance. if any one out there is worried about whither or not you are in the faith, i suggest this book of the bible to you as a measuring rod of true spirituality.

get low

as i was reading tonight in the bruised reed (Richard Sibbes), he was talking about how we as people have a hard time humbling ourselves. we often seek the very opposite in fact. yet the God who created us and all that is, did it. he came a very far distance from his high and lofty throne, to earth, then even lower, to the cross. it would not be so far for us to go. we are already pretty low, but we don't think so. and should we see ourselves as being such we automatically turn a blind eye or even worse we seek to become the high and lofty one. oh what a mistake. to be humble among a pride filled people is to the glory of the Lord and mercy to the lost. so why do we struggle? death is why, we refuse to die. it seems to me to be a very easy concept. just forsake your own wants and desires and trade them in for God's. right? hhmmm? no...i think maybe it's more, maybe... and i do not know for sure, but maybe, it's coming to the place where you end and God takes over. for those of us who are filled with pride he will have to do some serious bruising to get us to that place where we are willing to get out of the drivers seat and let him take over. a place where we finally give in and say i can not do it Lord - and stop depending on self - and start depending on Him.