Meaning and Significance

I can remember a very bitter time in my life. The time was during my years of study @ Carson-Newman. Mind you that all that time I was single and searching for that one woman that would be the one with which I would spend the rest of my life with. 2 1/2 or 3 years in I really can't recall the night that my friend Whipple and I were having one our in-depth talks. I can remember vividly talking about my disdain that I had yet to find the one that I was to spend the rest of my life with. I recall vehemently expressing my disgust at the false notion that I felt that everyone around me was finding success with regard to relationships when all I could find was rejection and "lets just be friends". Mind you actual attempts at "love" and relationships were few and far between but the ones that were attempted ended in the aforementioned results.

It was during one of these talks that Whipple suggested that I listen to a song that at the time had just recently been recorded and released by Derek Webb a song called "Wedding Dress" I listened to it and thought how cute its talk about a man and wife. How sadly was I wrong, only to after many years of listening to and falling in love with the tune, and actually learning how to play it recently did I finally discover and realize the truth & significance behind it.

What my friend was so wisely trying to show me is to view and have Jesus Christ as the ultimate lover of my soul before anything else. As it is referred to in the song and as Derek explains on another album called the "The House Show" because of my unbelief in the gospel, the word that Christ saves me and also says that God will provide for me in every facet of my life I would seek to be woo(ed) by lovers less wild attempting to substitute them or whatever it was for Christ. So first I should make Christ the center of my life and then other things would follow as blessing from the Lord.

I can say now more than ever and without any doubt that I finally have Christ in view as the ultimate and wildest lover of my soul.

Thank you Adam for starting me on the long journey so many moons ago. I'm finally walking with Christ in the right way.

A Charge For Daily Encouragement

The source of this post comes straight from my time with"The Word and The Father" of all places...

I've being reading steadily through books of the bible as of late. I read from both the OT and NT more or less just I just pick something that I'm really interested in or really want to read. I started with the Psalms for my OT book and have been reading 2 a day. The psalms are awesome such a sweet picture of our savior is captured between the pages. Meanwhile for my NT book I started with a Pauline epistle of Galatians and was just reminded that Christ is set us free and in Christ we are free so why on earth would we want to return to the yoke of slavery that is check-list Christianity. Which in fact if you think about it, it's not Christianity but rather legalism.

I've been reading as late last week through the book of Hebrews which is yet another awesome book. The gospel; the good news of the redemption that is in Christ so apparent in the book it has blessed me so much. To know that Christ himself is so much more able to help me when I am struggling against temptation cause he himself was tempted and yet without sinning.

But, all that to say I read over very significant thing about what it means that we are the body of Christ and we should be involved in each other's lives on a daily basis. Its come from Hebrews 3.12&13

"Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart leading you to fall away from God. But, exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today" that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin." (ESV)

The writer here is clearly calling its audience to daily encouragement and involvement in the lives of fellow believers. Sin is very deceitful. It can really mess you up. It can lead you into places and states of mind that are really hard to get back from. However with "daily" encouragement and accountability on is able to become and strong weapon for the cause of Christ.

The best thing that you can do is to surround yourself with good, rock-solid friends who are sure to keep you on the straight and narrow.