from The Screwtape Letters

I am listening to the audiobook The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis. i should explain that this book is a series of letters written by an older devil to a young tempter. because of that, any references to the "Enemy" are references to God; and "Our Father Below" is Satan. this excerpt is taken from the 8th letter in the book.


My Dear Wormwood,
So you "have great hopes that the patient's religious phase is dying away", have you? Has no one ever told you about the law of Undulation?
Humans are amphibians--half spirit and half animal. As spirits they belong to the eternal world, but as animals they inhabit time. This means that while their spirt can be directed to an eternal object, their bodies, passions, and imaginations are in continual change, for to be in time means to change. Their nearest approach to constancy, therefore, is undulation--the repeated return to a level from which they repeatedly fall back, a series of troughs and peaks. If you had watched your patient carefully you would have seen this undulation in every department of his life--his interest in his work, his affection for his friends, his physical appetites, all go up and down. As long as he lives on earth periods of emotional ad bodily richness and liveliness will alternate with periods of numbness and poverty, The dryness and dulness through which your patient is now going are not, as you fondly suppose, your workmanship; they are merely a natural phenomenon which will do us no good unless you make good use of it.
To decide what the best use of it is, you must as what use the Enemy wants to make of it, and then do the opposite. Now it may surprise you to learn that in His efforts to get permanent possession of a soul, He relies on the troughs even more than on the peaks; some o His special favorites have gone though longer and deeper troughs than anyone else. The reason is this. To us a human is primarily food; our aim is the absorption of its will into ours, the increase of our own area of selfhood at its expense. But the obedience which the Enemy demands of men is a quite different thing. One must ace the fact that all the talk about His love for men, and His service being freedom is not mere propaganda, but appalling truth. He really does want to fill the universe with a lot of loathsome little replicas of Himself--creatures whose life, on its miniature scale, will be qualitatively like His own, not because He has absorbed them but because their wills freely conform to His. We want cattle who can finally become food: He wants servants who can finally become sons. We want to suck in, He wants to give out. We are empty and would be filled: He is full and flows over. Our war aim is a world in which Our Father Below has drawn all other beings into himself: the Enemy wants a world full of beings united to Him but still distinct.
And that is where the troughs come in. You must have often wondered why the Enemy does not make more use of His power to be sensibly present to human souls in any degree He chooses and at any moment. But you now see that the Irresistible and the Indisputable are two weapons which the very nature of His scheme forbids Him to use. Merely to over-ride a human will would be for Him useless. He cannot ravish. He can only woo. For His ignoble idea is to eat the cake and have it; the creatures are to be one with Him, but yet themselves; merely to cancel them, or assimilate them, will not serve. He is prepares to do a little over-riding at the beginning. He will set them off with communications of His presence which, though faint, seem great to them, with emotional sweetness, and easy conquest over temptation. But He never allows this state of affairs to last long. Sooner or later He withdraws, if not in fact, at least from their conscious experience, all those supports and incentives. He leaves the creature to stand up on its own legs--to carry out from the will alone duties which have lost all relish. It is during such trough periods, much more than during the peak periods, that it is growing into the sort of creature He wants it to be. Hence the prayers offered in the state of dryness are those which please Him best. We can drag out patients along by continual tempting, because we design them only for the table, and the more their will is interfered with the better. He cannot "tempt" to virtue as we do to vice. He wants them to learn to walk and must therefore take away His hand; and if only the will to walk is really there He is pleased even with their stumbles. Do not be deceived, Wormwood. Our cause is never more in danger than when a human, no longer desiring, but still intending, to do our Enemy's will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys.

creation

The world of creation cannot as yet see reality, not because it chooses to be blind, but because in God's purpose it has been limited--yet it has been given hope. And the hope is that in the end the whole creates life can be rescued from the tyranny of change and decay, and have its share in that magnificent liberty which can only belong to the children of God! ~ Romans 8:20-21

His image is woven into the fabric of everything we are. His thumbprint on our lives affects us in ways we will never understand. His divine beauty, which is part of our essence as well, demands a response. ~ Michael Card

somewhere over the rainbow

sometimes i listen to this song and think, wow, wouldn't that be so nice! to wish on a star, have my dreams come true, and watch my troubles melt away.

but that's not quite the way it works.

it's actually a lot better.

if those things could happen, i would have to do them over and over, because this world is cursed by sin. it will never get better, only worse.

but there is a way to be free from the curse of sin and live forever in perfect joy and peace.
there are days when i don't think it sounds real. perfect peace? what's that? but i believe in the Prince of Peace. the God who loves this curse, broken world so much He sent His Son to die for it. a world that would never love Him in return. a world He will one day destroy. but that's all part of the story! because after this sin-cursed world is destroyed, He will make a new one, a perfect one, without sin.

so, as wonderful as it sounds to go "somewhere over the rainbow", i think i'll just stay right here, and keep trusting in my Savior to make all things good in His time. because His good is way better than my best.

Everything Sad is Coming Untrue

You had to have that hard conversation
Where nothing hurts quite like the truth
And now you wonder what she's thinking
Who she sees when she looks at you
How could it be everything sad is coming untrue?

Another nail in another coffin
Arms that held you return to dust
Yet in our grief we know death must be a liar
For no goodbye is ever good enough
How could it be everything sad is coming untrue?

The winter makes us wonder
If spring was ever true
But every winter breaks upon
The Easter lily's bloom
Could it be everything sad is coming untrue?
Could you believe everything sad is coming untrue?

Broken hearts are being unbroken
Bitter words are being unspoken
The curse undone, the veil parted
The garden gate will be left unguarded

Could it be everything sad is coming untrue?
Oh I believe everything sad is coming untrue
In the hands of the One
Who is making all things new

When the storm leaves there's a silence
That says you don't have to fear anymore
The trees look greener, the sky's an ocean
The world is washed and starting over

written by Jason Gray

thoughts from John 13:10

"The one who has bathed needs only to wash his feet."

As a Christian, I have been washed clean by Jesus' precious blood. But I still live on this earth and daily need to wash my feet in the water of the Word to be cleansed from daily sin and the "dirt" of the world. Every day I need to spend time in God's Word, reading, studying, memorizing, praying, so I can "wash my  feet". I must not remain self-focused, but serve others in every way possible so I can show the love of God in my life and be like Jesus. Understanding this is one thing, but the real blessing comes from doing it!

I Do Believe

we sang this song in church this morning. it is so simple, but so powerful. i hope you can take time to just meditate on the words, like i did.

I Do Believe 
       by Charles Wesley

Father, I stretch my hands to Thee,
No other help I know;
If Thou withdraw Thyself from me,
Ah! whither shall I go?

What did Thine only Son endure,
Before I drew my breath;
What pain, what labor to secure
My soul from endless death!

O Jesus, could I this believe,
I now should feel Thy power;
And all my wants Thou wouldst relieve,
In this accepted hour.

Author of faith, to Thee I life
My weary, longing eyes;
Oh, let me now receive that gift;
My soul without it dies.

chorus:
I do believe, I now believe,
That Jesus died for me;
And thro' His blood, His precious blood,
I shall from sin be free.

Sure as the Dawn

this song is one of my most favoritest songs ever! it is written by a friend of mine, Paul Keew. you can check out his other songs at his site, www.watchsong.com. they are all incredible and have all been a blessing to me. this song is taken from the book of Hosea. the chorus is Hosea 6:3, the name of this blog. when i created the blog, this is the song that was in my head as i wrote in the name.  it is so amazing that God's love is "as sure as the dawn".

Sure As the Dawn 

Lord, I am amazed 

That the God of all grace 

Would shine down His love 

From the heavens above 

On this unfaithful race. 

For Jesus the Lamb 

Has atoned for our sin; 

All glory and honor 

Be unto the Father, 

And be unto Him! 

Chorus: 

As sure as the dawn  

Is Your unfailing love; 

As sure as the rain in the springtime 

That showers the earth from above! 

For Jesus the Son 

Died to make me His own. 

And nothing can take me away from His love; 

It's as sure as the dawn. 

Lord, I am a man, 

And my love's like the dew; 

As soon as the sun  

Has dried all my resolve, 

Then I turn it from You. 

I remember the day 

When You made my heart yearn; 

For Jesus, the husband 

That I didn't want 

And could never deserve.  

Bridge: 

And none of the good that I've ever done 

Could merit the favor of Your Holy One. 

This love is a gift that He bought with His life, 

And all who believing receive Him will find... 

(Chorus) 

Text by Paul Keew, drawing from Hosea 2:19-20 & 6:3. 

© 2009 by Paul Keew. All rights reserved. 

What is the purpose of my life?

1).  To give God pleasure

                        Genesis 1:31 – God saw all that He had made—and it was very good!

            —What is God pleased with?

                        > Obedience

                                    Colossians 3:20 – Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing in the Lord.

                        > Consistency in what is right

                                    1 Corinthians 15:58 – So then, dear brothers and sisters, be firm.  Do not be moved!  Always be outstanding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

2).  To give God glory

                        1 Corinthians 6:20 – For you were bought with a price.  Therefore glorify God with your body.

            —What glorifies God?

                        > Worship

                                    Psalm 100:2 – Worship the Lord with joy!  Enter His presence with joyful singing!

                        > Surrender to God

                                    1 Corinthians 6:19 – Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?

3).  To spread the Gospel

                        Matthew 28:19 – Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

            —How?

                        > Be ready always

                                    1 Peter 3:15 – But set Christ apart as Lord in your hearts and always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks about the hope you posses.

                        > Use every opportunity

                                    Colossians 4:5 – Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders making the most of the opportunities.

4).  To be an example

                        Titus 2:7 – Showing yourself to be an example of good works in every way.

            —How?

                        > Follow Biblical examples

                                    Philippians 3:17 – Be imitators of me, brothers and sisters, and watch carefully those who are living this way, just as you have us as an example.

                        > Follow Christ

                                    Matthew 16:24 – Then Jesus said to His disciples, “ If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.”

5).  To encourage

                        1 Thessalonians 5:11 – Therefore encourage one another and build up each other

            —How?

                        > Pray for each other

                                    Ephesians 6:18 – With every prayer and petition, pray at all times in the Spirit, and to this end be alert, with all perseverance and requests for all the saints.

                        > Sing

                                    Colossians 3:16 – Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and exhorting one another with all wisdom, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, all with grace in your hearts to God.

                        > Talk about what God has done

                                    1 Samuel 12:24 – However, fear the Lord and serve Him faithfully with all your heart.  Just look at the great things he has done for you.

Weakness

We’ve all heard the verse “the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak”. Well, I knew that verse, and every time I failed spiritually, I said “that’s my problem. my flesh is weak”. Bu I never did anything about my weak flesh. I don’t think I ever really realized how weak I really was in comparison to Christ. The first time i watched Facing the Giants it made me think about my life and what I’m doing here and why I am doing it. It also made me realize just how weak I really am. And that’s the place where I needed to be before Christ could do anything in my life. I got on my knees and gave God everything. He did not let me go until I was nothing. He brought down to the bottom of the bottom and I emptied myself into Him. I felt such peace come over me that I have never felt before in my whole life. Now that I know I am nothing He has space to make me something for Him, which is what I want more than anything else in the whole world. I know the road will not be smooth sailing but God will be with me always. That is the most comforting thing in the world to know that someone so much stronger is in control and will take care of me.

When living life for Jesus Christ becomes to hard a task
When obedience means sacrifice that seems to much to ask
That's when I learn that my own strength isn't really strength at all
And I find rest in humbleness when I surrender all

When failures in my human strength have weakened all my pride
And ruined hopes and fallen dreams have crumbled me inside
It's then by grace I finally see the strength of Jesus Christ
His victory is real in me when weakness fills my life

In my weakness He is strong
In my need He leads me on
When I come to the end of all I am and I place my trust in Him
That's where His strength begins
In my weakness