When I have less stuff to do, I am so much less productive!

Nearing the End

eloquenceoftruth:

…The funny thing about moving to the next page, or to the next chapter, is that you have to leave the old one behind; I’ve grown quite attached to this current chapter, and I don’t know what’s going to happen with the people I love next semester. …

See, I’m a planner. I love planning things, and often make plans that don’t come to fruition just for the sake of making them. I love to be in control, and I’m always prepared to be in control. And the problem is, I don’t know what’s going to happen in 4 months when I get back to APU. No matter how hard I try to plan these things, I can’t do it, because I don’t know what the circumstances I will be in. …

I can relate to this so much. The school year is almost over and I still don’t know what I am doing or where I will be this summer. I love making plans and looking at the different trajectories of my life, but I have no idea what the future holds for me. I just come back to 1 Corinthians 2:9. I try to stay focused on the present and abide in Him now so he can use me later.

I am too prone for sleeping

I feel I can’t ask others to pray for me when they have much weightier things to be praying about.

The Truth Will Set You Free Indeed!

Link: The Truth Will Set You Free Indeed!

Watch this. Give it your full attention. Examine it.

Patience, no sé la situación de otras personas. Todo va a ser bien.

God's glory

God created the universe to bring glory to his name. So does he bring glory by the revelation of his power and wrath in judgment against the ungodly, or by having creatures who love him. Can it be both, but then does one come with lesser importance?

The man who comes to the right belief about God is relieved of ten thousand temporal problems.

Jason Jones

So applicable right now. Thanks Flower.

But, as it is written,
"What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
nor the heart of man imagined,
what God has prepared for those who love him”

-1 Corinthians 2:9

God is the answer.

Not our version of God, but the sovereign God who is who he is. Let my mind be boggled and amazed and not put him in a box.

God gets the glory, and we get the joy. I wouldn’t want it to be any other way.

John Piper

We can’t break the hearts of stone, but the hearts won’t be broken unless we evangelize. When we go out, God goes with us. We are the hammer used to open the hearts.

I'm convinced. Calvinism is the only way.

Call me narrow minded, but I believe God is sovereign no matter what my assumptions may tell me otherwise.

Christian humility sees life and breath and everything as a gift of God and so is shot through with gratitude instead of grumbling. But not only is all a gift. Because of our sin, all the benefits of life and the hope of eternity are utterly undeserved gifts. The Christian knows that his life hangs on a scarlet cord of mercy and mercy alone. Therefore, the humble person is not greatly inclined to demand personal rights, because he knows if he were treated like that his life would be over. He is not presumptuous or insolent but unassuming and meek. The humble person has the feeling that his natural place is to serve rather than be served; he takes the lowest seat. There arises in his heart a great uneasiness when he is unduly honored or praised. And even when he has done well, the compliments he gets are a bit awkward for him, not because he artificially denies his competence, but because he feels so keenly that whatever he has accomplished is owing to grace, so that God should get the credit above all. The humble Christian does not crave the praise of men. He longs for God to be praised and thanked and for truth to be honored. And finally, a person who has been humbled and secured by the gospel will manifest a willingness to acknowledge his error and a readiness to be corrected when wrong. Humility does not try to save face. It is quick to admit its own finitude and imperfection and stubbornness.

John Piper - “It’s My Pleasure” sermon 1983

Coincidence from God

Decide to take a 5 minute bread to walk around the Student Center to just say hi to people, and end up talking to a friend for 90 minutes.

My life is not my own. I want to give every minute to God.

I am not going to peak

Because a peak means that I am no longer moving forward. And I won’t plateau either. It is just as bad as peaking. Anything buy moving forward is unacceptable. Even on my comfortable days I am going to seek the Lord with all my heart, search his word for THE truth.

Thank you God for opening my heart to your love 

I suck at recieving compliments

I feel bad for feeling good about myself because I know all goodness only comes from God, and then I beat myself up about it and might forget to muster a thank you.

The Lord of our salvation brings me joy.

Hypocrite

Philippians 3:7-11

This passage got brought up in my life TWICE today. In Prison Letters, and just now in a completely separate situation. I don’t think this is coincidence. God, help me to consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I lose all things. I want it all to be garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, but that which is through faith in Christ.

Oh, idols.

the17club:

Check out this list of convicting idol-indicators.

Questions 6-8 really got to me.

oh boy. I’ve got some stuff to bring before God.

Truth Wins, not Rob Bell

Rob Bell just spoke at a local church, Wayzata Community. You know that when the ‘church’ says that they "Follow the path of Jesus Christ, while respecting other pathways to God”, that nothing good is going to come of it. I didn’t go and listen to him talk, but a friend did and it was terrible.

"No doubt, Rob Bell writes as a pastor who wants to care for people struggling with the doctrine of hell. I too write as a pastor. And as a pastor I know that Love Wins means God’s people lose. In the world of Love Wins, my congregation should not sing “In Christ Alone” because they cannot not believe, “There on the cross where Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied.” They would not belt out “Bearing shame and scoffing rude, in my place condemned he stood.” No place for “Stricken, Smitten, and Afflicted” with its confession, “the deepest stroke that pierced him was the stroke that Justice gave.” The jubilation of “No condemnation now I dread; Jesus, and all in him, is mine!” is muted in Love Wins. The bad news of our wrath-deserving wretchedness is so absent that the good news of God’s wrath-bearing Substitute cannot sing in our hearts. When God is shrunk down to fit our cultural constraints, the cross is diminished. And whenever the cross is diminished we pain the hearts of God’s people and rob them of their joy." -Kevin DeYoung

DeYoung does a complete and truthful review on Love Wins, and really you only need to read a small chunk of it to see how heretical Rob Bell is. Here is another useful resource. I encourage you not to buy the book and study God’s word in context.

His name is Esteban

I GOT A COMPASSION KID TODAY!!! He is from Nicaragua. I can’t wait to write to him in Spanish. I am so glad God has put me in a position to help others.

John Piper explains tweet on Rob Bell

Link: John Piper explains tweet on Rob Bell

This is fiction, but HILARIOUS

An unreached people group: actors/actresses/celebrities

The new birth unites the want-to with the ought-to at the root. But they do not become one tree until heaven.

John Piper (Twitter)

Come and hear, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me!! (Psalm 66:16)

¹⁷ I cried out to him with my mouth; 
   his praise was on my tongue. 
¹⁸ If I had cherished sin in my heart, 
   the Lord would not have listened; 
¹⁹ but God has surely listened 
   and has heard my prayer. 
²⁰ Praise be to God, 
   who has not rejected my prayer 
   or withheld his love from me!

God is so awesome! I was apprehensive for something to happen so that I would see God come through. AND HE DID!!

Mark 11

²⁴ Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. ²⁵ And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

Emily Flower is a blessing. Thank you God.

It is so beautiful out!

Praise the Lord who is present through all struggles!

May his name be glorified forever!