Full Circle

Thankfulness is a dominant anthem in me right now

I have spent the last few days fighting migraine headaches, writing sermons to be preached at a later date, and seeing another facet of the grace and mercy of God.

If that sounds all together too cliche I invite you to remember, or if you don't know me that well, to embrace the concept, that I am wicked, a finite, sinful, fallible dude. Some of you have seen this more clearly than others. I am not immune to the temptations of lust, greed, selfishness and fear of the unknown. Yet, by the unmerited favor of God I have experienced somewhat of a revival of the spiritual senses. The desire to put to death sin. To put to death anything that is not edifying to others or rooted in directing myself in others toward genuine love and holiness. An extermination of anything that does not lend the fruit of hope of the certain Kingdom that is to come.

I am not a leaf at the mercy of a confusing wind that my faith may be found one day and lost the next due to the circumstances of the day, rather I am a child of the most High God who is faithful to Himself through His people, period. Otherwise, A) I am not a child of God or B)He is a liar. There is no evidence for either of these realities. My spirit testifies in alignment with the Word of God that I am a part of the elect and There is no legitimate, water-holding, inconsistency in God that would bring His validity into question.

A God with a flawless tract record in the Old Testament and who cowards below humanity to the level of sacrifice before triumphing over the grave in the New Testament silences the most atheistic onlookers.

For all of this I am thankful, needless to say. Even when I have a skewed view of my identity, a Lion King moment if you will, I am not lost, doomed, or condemned. God is faithful, even when I am not.

"And from his fullness We have all received grace upon grace"
- John 1:16

I am blown away that this Holy, perfect God looked at this wretched, guilty, wrong doer and was merciful enough not to kill me.

But even more so that he not only allowed me to exist, but he gave me real and eternal life through believing in His son who bore the weight of my wrong doings by dying in my place.

Still it doesn't end there. He has now called and commissioned me to declare this great act of mercy and grace to others that they might experience the same. He sends me forth as a joyous ambassador of life amidst the brokenness of this world. To declare with His authority the forgiveness of sins. The weight of salvation does not rest on me. I just get to be one along for the ride. Its the Spirit of God working to call them to the Son through me. This reality is simply breath-taking.

The God that invites the undeserving to taste in real life and fore-ordains them to be a means of spreading that life. Praise You God!

Again. humbled...thankful...overjoyed...

"You are Indescribable, You are beyond expression
And I run out of words for you, Can't think that High,
So hear my spirit groan in me,
A painful sense of urgency,
To tell you that you are to me, So High"
-Jeff Johnson, "So High"