There's a candle burning, the flames at both ends
Any attempts are welcomed to slow it by an exacerbated wind
Still it burns; the heat rising, the wax falling
The light is soon fading.
The pressure so intense, and for what?
To be left in the dark?
I want to trade this melting candle
To give it up in exchange for Love
To cease striving to maintain my little flicker
One that's too quickly fleeting
There's something better that's not my own
The Light that never retires
Rather continually ignites
Building a fire, fanning a flame
Of passion, hope, desire, and love
Light that consumes me, not to harm but to relieve
In His Light, I can just be.
No need to worry, No place for fear
It's not mine to keep lit, or maintain
Responsibility rests in the hand of the Maker of the flame
The Consumed now radiates for His glory.
____________________________________________________________
Justification by Faith
"I am not saved by believing - I simply realize I am saved by believing. And it is not repentance that saves me - repentance is only the sign that I realize what God has done through Jesus Christ. The danger here is putting the emphasis on the effect, instead of on the cause. Is it my obedience, consecration, and dedication that make me right with God? It is never that! I am made right with God because, prior to all of that, Christ died. When I turn to God and by belief accept what God reveals, the miraculous atonement by the Cross of Christ instantly places me into a right relationship with God. And as a result of the supernatural miracle of God's grace I stand justified, not because I am sorry for my sin, or because I have repented, but because of what Jesus has done. The Spirit of God brings justification with a shattering, radiant light, and I know that I am saved, even though I don't know how it was accomplished.
The salvation that comes from God is not based on human logic, but on the sacrificial death of Jesus. We can be born again solely because of the atonement of our Lord. Sinful men and women can be changed into new creations, not through their repentance or their belief, but through the wonderful work of God in Christ Jesus which preceded all of our experience. (2 Corinthians 5:17-19) The unconquerable safety of justification and sanctification is God Himself. We do not have to accomplish these things ourselves - they have been accomplished through the atonement of the Cross of Christ. The supernatural becomes natural to us through the miracle of God, and there is the realization of what Jesus Christ has already done - "It is finished!" (John 19:30)"
- Oswald Chambers
Update: Thanks so much for replying! I really appreciate your input!
Hey yall! Would ya help me out with a homework assignment for my cultural anthropology class? - I promise it's not cheating ;)
it's currently 7:39 pm and i have a midterm at 7:45 am tomorrow. i have not even begun to study for it. haven't looked at notes. haven't started to memorize the 8 Scripture verses that i must know. i swear i used to be more responsible. i have been working on other things lately, definitely doing my share of homework and paper writing. i just put studying for this off because...well i don't know i don't think it will be a big deal. i like the class a lot and have pretty much got a good handle on the main elements. minus my memory verses. i had planned to do nothing but studying today and i haven't even started. i did however accomplish a LOT of other things and have had a great day. i got to have coffee with two of my favorite folks, Joe and Charity....well actually no one had coffee, there was a diet coke, a hot chocolate, and tea in the mix but in the northwest we say everything is coffee kinda like the south says coke i guess. anyway, then i was at Living Hope for a while being trained for something new, i then went to the library, and to the store, and then I went to see my friend Harmony and met her new baby boy, Parker. I came home, went for a bike ride, made dinner, chatted with a roomie (great chat!!!) and now...I AM BLOGGING which i probably have no business doing. Now, it could be very tempting for me to beat my own butt right about now for how i don't have it all together, and how i should be doing this and shouldn't be doing that but i'm not going to. mostly, because i know God doesn't. I am gonna choose to believe Him, not try to judge myself, rest in the grace that He has given me this day, and enjoy Him! Now, I am also going to study! It's OK!
Ever feel like the enemy (satan's bunch) just kicks the door in and starts opening fire with a semi-automatic, seemingly bringing destruction to every place the weapon points, yet you don't have a clue that you've even been attacked until the fight's over and you find yourself in a mess?
Hey folks! Welcome to the new blog. I will still keep the one on wordpress (tiffaniepaige.wordpress.com)open for a bit, until I see how I like blogger. I do plan on only posting new notes onto this one though. I'm making the decision to switch because it is easier to incorporate photography onto the blogger site. And...there are some other fun gadgets I wanna use as well. Thanks for checking it out!
