the center.

Well i cannot believe the day has finally come... I am moving to Austin tomorrow morning.  i am so excited to be thrown out of the comfortable normalcy of my life in Garland.  Leaving beautiful friends and the support i have from them and accountability is no fun.  But i have faith that my time with them has only been to strengthen my walk with the Lord for a time such as this.  Thank you friends.  I owe you my life.

I'm going to go ahead and write this... i pray it doesn't happen... but i need to write it as a reminder to myself.  The temptation in a place like Austin... for me at least... is not the parties or craziness or blatant sin... but it's a matter of motives.  Getting caught up in the "cool factor", as lame as that sounds.  It is feeding the homeless because it's what any cool bohemian austin hippie would do.  It's going to a church because they do trendy things.  It's sacrificing time with my precious Jesus to read a book (maybe even a "christian" book :o).  It's wearing clothes with a peace sign on it because that's what everyone wears.  

All these things are not necessarily "bad"... but the reason for doing them is NOT Jesus.  O the tricky ways of the enemy.  I am about to be thrown into a battle.  I must be aware and ready.  I must not let these backward motives sneak in.  It must always be about Christ.

Jesus at the center

of it all.  

oh how he loves us.

i've been in love with this song... and i just heard the story behind it... it's incredible.

Praise of Men.

"Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.  Thus when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet, as the HYPOCRITES do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others.  Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.  But when you give to the needy do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret.  And your Father who sees in secret will reward you."  Matthew 6:1-4

"Woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation."  Luke 6:24

"Woe to you, when people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets."  Luke 6:26

I am convicted.  I am absolutely guilty according to these scriptures... and many more I didn't write out.  I want the praises of men.  I want others to know I feed the homeless.  I want my "righteous acts" to be known.  Ha... funny how the Lord says "my righteous acts" are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6).  The best possible humanitarian act... the most glorious charity deed... the single most outstanding, mother-teresa-sized display of compassion I can muster... is like a dirty dish rag in the eyes of the Father.  I fall so so so so so short even on my best day.

The Message reads: "But there's trouble ahead if you think you have it made.  What you have is all you'll ever get... There's trouble ahead when you live only for the approval of others." (Luke 6:24, 26)  If I want man's praise... God says that's what I'll get.  He's a gentlemen... he'll let me have what I want.  But He says I won't see them!  I won't see you doing the things I have called you to do FOR ME. You will get no recognition from me!  

So often i try to serve both God and man.  I need to be delivered from my fickleness.  

Thank the Lord I have a Savior... who came to save me from myself.

Thanks ad for sharing your conviction on this... you helped ME see.

Thank you Jesus for your Grace.  Amen.