Sufjan Stevens
Watch this if you are having difficulty getting into the groove on this Monday.
video of the Typologies of Jesus Christ found in the Old Testament.
The Brothers Karamazov
Fyodor Dostoevsky
“I believe like a child that suffering will be healed and made up for, that all the humiliating absurdity of human contradictions will vanish like a pitiful mirage, like the despicable fabrication of the impotent and infinitely small Euclidean mind of man, that in the world’s finale, at the moment of eternal harmony, something so precious will come to pass that it will suffice for all hearts, for the comforting of all resentments, for the atonement of all the crimes of humanity, of all the blood that they’ve shed; that it will make it not only possible to forgive, but to justify all that has happened.”
John 12:27
“What then shall I say? “Father, save me form this hour?” but for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” When we realize that our current situation is to serve the eternal purposes of God, we are given the strength to get though it. Whatever our present afflictions may be, persevere to glorify the Father’s name in and through it. C.S Lewis wisely declared that “God, who foresaw your tribulation, has specially armed you to go through it, not without pain but without stain.” We know that God will never leave us nor forsake us. Let these promises be our Cleft in the Rock. Let them arm us in our day of trial, that we may press on to obtain the prize.
Election
You say but, “He may not have chosen me”.
“Oh, how do you know?”
“Well, I’m not a Christian.”
“Well, why aren’t you a Christian?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never seen a need to be one.”
“Well, do you want to be a Christian?”
“No.”
“Then maybe He didn’t choose you. But don’t blame Him. You haven’t chosen Him either, have you?”
So if you don’t know if He’s chosen you or not, just accept Jesus Christ and you’ll find He did.
-Chuck Smith
Pressing on
“exhausted yet pursuing” Judges 8:4
Let us learn from these men, who though were exhausted and wearied in doing the business of the Lord, yet press on still. They were dedicated in eliminating the foreigners from the Promised Land, and let us also pursue the elimination of the sin in our lives.
Trusting Him
The people with you are too many for me to give the Mideanites into your hand, lest Israel boast over me, saying, ‘my own hand has saved me.’ - Judges 7:2
It is so much easier to provide for ourselves our own provisions and necessities, whatever they may be. But the Lord our God calls us to put our faith in Him. He feeds the birds of the air, and clothes the grass of the field. He is the Father that delights in supplying good gifts for His children! Trust Him! Though we may say, “I am too weak!” rest assured, “His strength is made perfect in our weakness”. He desires to make use of us regardless of our stature. When we are weak in ourselves, then we are strong in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and are qualified to receive strength from him.
Our Badge
By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. John 13:35
If we as Christians do not show love towards one another, than the world has the right (given by Jesus himself) to judge that he is not a disciple of Him. “Let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith”. Brotherly love is to be the badge of Christ’s disciples. Jesus did not say ‘the badge of our faith will be the working of miracles, or in speaking tongues or prophetic words‘, but simply to love one another.
