One main appeal of the religious spirit is it’s offer to appease your conscience…. which it will do, in a measure. But it cannot remove your guilt. Only repentance can do that.
One most scandalous and damaging thing about the religious spirit, that we often don’t realize, is that it is a substitution for the ongoing, active, living work of Christ in our hearts. Continue reading “A Religious Spirit's Appeal”
Let all things be loved for the sake of Jesus, but Jesus for His own sake.
These are the words of a celebrated believer from many centuries ago. They still ring true today. Why?
Because they help us to reconcile our value system, and to center it, protecting us from placing primary value on things, efforts or even others. The central value of our lives should be the Lord Himself, and all other things we value are valued for His sake, and in a way subjected to our love for Him.
For one, this protects us from idolatry… From spending our love and the focus of our lives in ways that devalue. There are many valid pursuits in life, many things that we can offer us an opportunity to contribute and serve in a meaningful way. However, if any of thes things begin to take first place, their real value begins to be lost. Continue reading “Love”
(The first part of the trip report can be found by clicking this link)
It occurred to me that it would be a good idea to go back to the spring that I protected with a team in 2008, my first trip to Kenya. Mishael said it was very doable so we struck out on foot one morning for the site and made it there in 20 minutes or so. What came with it was a flood of memories. When we arrived at the spring, with it's plaque – Uhuru – we came upon a young girl, maybe ten, who was filling two buckets with it's yield. It was good to see the spring was in good shape, and that it's usefulness persisted. It had been seven and a half years since we did our job there. Apart from a little faded paint and such, it continued to function as well as ever. We took her by surprise, as we did most children in Kenya. I think my skin looks fluorescent to them. She was, nonetheless, good humored. After a few pictures and the feeling that someone had just walked over my grave, we surveyed the nearby fields, trees and relatives in the area that Mishael has called home all his life. To have had the experience of protecting this water source in the first place was a huge blessing, and certainly an eye-opening, life altering event. To have been able to visit it again reinforced it's impact afresh. It was almost like visiting a monument from a different age, at least in my life. Continue reading “Kenya Trip Report – Part Two”
Israel arrived to Arlington after an overnight trip from Juarez. It was great to see him, and the sense of anticipation went up a few notches when I grabbed him from his drop off point, just off I-20 a few miles from the house. He was in pretty good shape even tho he had been on the road overnight, including the customary delays that come with catching a ride.
Vince came by to get us, arriving early, so we got to the airport in plenty of time to minimize drama. His help was much appreciated, and it was good for he and Isra to see each other again. Continue reading “Kenya2015 Trip Report”
