Forged By Faith

Colossians 1:17 NIV The first and the last, beginning and end, Alpha, Omega, was, is, is coming again, Author, Perfector, Creator, Savior, Father, Friend. He who goes before and protects behind and walks beside and does all out of all He is seeing as all He is is love and mercy and just and justice and jealous and vengeance and kindness and caring and compassion and purpose and promise and permanent and perfect. And somehow inside all of that He finds reason for us to be here, but even more than that, to be His. And further still, to be His despite our having all but become here as where is a world not at all how He created it to remain. No, for such things as death and demise were not at first His plans for mankind as He began us with the breath of life allowing us to breathe a life that we’ve come to live in love with all that isn’t all He is. And why? Well, I suppose that the answer to that is perhaps different for each of us and yet too exactly the same. Because this fall away from...

Matthew 22:21 NIV A reply offered in regard to the wonder as to whose image and inscription were boldly emblazoned upon this mediocrity of man’s currency which has so sadly become unto us indeed us in what is almost every way possible. For alas we’ve so devolved in terms of devotion to the divine being the line we refuse to cross that, no, that line looks clearest in the rear-view nearest as it’s a concern not even an afterthought anymore. It’s an idea antiquated in every way these days as the world has so far progressed past such a vital simplicity as our not being our own defining further than nothing we own should thus be us. But yet, such is just how we’ve come to live so in love with a land so filled with frills and frights which illuminate every night so that we can continue our search for something of substance to make our self-betrayal not so blatant. But blatant it shall indeed remain, for how else might we explain how we’ve come so far into this world that we worry ourselves ...

Matthew 22:20 NIV Coming from the One known to have quite the penchant for a good parable, perhaps this particular question was asked in what may remain an unseen plurality as asked within the unasked rhetorical. For it’s clear to read that Jesus was referring to this Denarius which the people had produced as part of His proving His point as paved perfectly level within the next verse. It’s this coin that Christ asks for in regard to this debate as the paying of taxes as asked from a people wondering about such worldly loyalty as to listen to and succumb to the overall structure of what society still remains. And yet as Jesus goes on to explain within the simplicity of His answer, perhaps there’s more to the point than just proven upon some coin. And honestly, we shouldn’t really at this point expect anything less of this One who spoke and speaks still such life unto us through a Word written well before we began our own fall away. Yet we do, right up and into the point in which we tak...

James 4:5 NIV Tis an increasing oddity to find oneself feeling out of place within the only place said self has ever been. Almost makes you wonder as to the reason and where it might be leading. For in truth, there seems this rather deeply seated sense of disconnection planted somewhere inside each of us. It’s this almost visceral detachment in which we all feel as if there’s just more to this, what’s becoming a nearly visible realization as to the superficiality of all this social abnormality. Yes, we all, whether we’ll admit it now or not, know well this understanding that where we’re standing, so limited by such things as sight and even life, it’s simply not able to encompass what can be proven a life’s purpose. For why should we be here to know only, have only, see only, hope in or for only what is here? No, this seems an altogether failsome undertaking as it’s one undertaken by all of us, granted to different degrees and too in quite vastly different directions, but a human condit...

James 4:6 NIV “If I have found favor in your eyes.” That statement is made so many times in Scripture. And yet each and every occurrence is read from within what seems an almost palpable humility shown inside the one saying it an understanding that to whom they’re speaking it has the dually agreed upon power or ability to either give something or take something away. It’s a proclamation made in this sense of hope from the one hoping that they’ve not failed or otherwise offended this party from whom they’re falling upon mercy seeking a beneficial outcome to whatever request is being made. And this why we read in Ephesians that most perfectly poignant and yet perhaps permanently problematic purpose as proven in that “it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” Because it’s been made most evident throughout human existence that God hates our boasting. Because our every boasting is always ...

2 Corinthians 10:18 NIV “Do you see a person wise in their own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for them.” Indeed, Proverbs 26:12 really proves the predicament of our always trying to prove ourselves. For the reality is that there can be nothing of hope when all our hope is held inside ourselves and thus assumed achieved within what we ourselves achieve. For if this all comes down to us being able to find a way to measure up, then yes, a fool has a better chance at being proven wise than we do being proven of having lived a life right. Because if we’re the ones who define what’s right, well then nothing we do could ever be wrong. Right? See, we know well that to commend is to comment as to someone being all but unworthy of being condemned, and so this commendation has become a consideration most constructive in light of our fight against our condemnation as has stood since the first time we became of mind to cross the line drawn by the cross of Christ. And yet what perhaps bega...