Forged By Faith

Titus 2:13 NIV works through the waiting Not only because that’s simply what we’re here to do, a fact rather easy to prove in light of all we’ve all the ability, the opportunity, the understanding and (hopefully) willingness to, but also because, well, what else is there to do? What else are we to give all this time we’ve been given to? What more might mean more than our doing more than we’ve already done, becoming then something more, (hopefully) something better than we’ve been before? Honestly, why would we still have a life if not to live it doing something within it? Doesn’t make any sense. And yet it sadly seems increasingly obvious that many here do find themselves of the ability to find sense in the senseless. So much so that there are a correspondingly increasing many who have managed to make careers, find fortunes, even find fame and friendships within the doing of nothing. At least nothing all that good or meaningful or even productive. I mean truly, do we need more influenc...

Titus 2:12 NIV learns of a life in “no” Which honestly comes at quite the surprise considering for all our lives we’ve all lived through eyes that knew only of “yes” and “please” and “thank you sir, may I have another?”. Because those are the keys which have always seemed to open every door behind which we’ve learned to believe that all the best of all this life always waited for us to find a desire to feel as though we needed it. That life itself was something that sells upon shelves in stores or is offered on pages in magazines or flashes exciting family scenes on our tv’s telling us all about all the benefits and side-effects of some new something that’s taking the world by storm. Indeed, we’ve all lived our lives one ShamWow and a roll of Flextape away from utter perfection. This is in fact why such infomercials were invented. It’s because the makers of their products sold within them, usually even offered us in payments paid in installments so that we can go ahead and receive the ...

Titus 2:11 NIV grapples with the gravity For in reality there is a particular if not indeed perfectly peculiar purpose unto every prize promised as is met only when it’s met by those to whom it’s given. It’s a weight won within this realization as to the time, effort, investigation that was given by another in order for their to determine that which they’ve now given. And this time and intention is, or at least should be, worth as much to we to whom any gift is given as is the gift we’re given. And that’s because every gift ever given was only given by someone who took their time from their life and decided to build, to buy what is this then beautiful expression of their having chosen to put us before themselves. And that’s just a really hard thing to fathom. Or, again, at least it should be. But unfortunately what we seem now to see is this sea of which is our society in which we’ve all chosen all but collectively to sink inside what is this life in which we live as if we’re owed some...

2 Timothy 1:9 NIV believes before the beginning And thus too after for if there was something there in which to believe in before this thing we now know as time began then so too must it make sense for something to be there waiting for this thing called time to reach its end. And, well, if for nothing else but the simple sake of simplicity, why not believe that that which was before is the same as that which waits after? Seems to make things entirely elementary, which, not to knock us or anything, but such is in all honesty the kind of thing that we do best with. That which is so simple it’s stupid. And that because we’re so stupid that He had to make it all so very simple as to literally tell us how all of this, and all of us, both got our start, what to do with what’s so clearly now underway and even what is the way we’re supposed to go through this show that is this life down in this hole that is our soul that has been sold to he who seeks only to steal and kill and destroy, a work ...

2 Timothy 1:10 NIV ravels in the reveal For within the realization of our redemption both being sealed and straining near there comes this loss of the fear of the loss of this life as we come to learn that within the Light is and was the only life that ever were we intended to live. And sure, this realization brings with it a realizing as to the life we’ve lived instead, one which left us both spiritually dead and deserving of the bodily same, which is too part of this parcel which is His promise which doth indeed pursue us. And yeah, it’s still sometimes somewhat strange to find oneself finding joy in approaching such a destination. Because none alive wish to die as it’s the living of life that clearly makes a life worth living. It’s just that in Christ and His finished work upon the cross which was and is and will forever remain the cornerstone of the Gospel, a cornerstone still being roundly rejected by the many who continue building their lives within the deaths designed within the...