Остин|Доран

Thirty thousand chariots Six thousand horseman Troops like the sand on the seashore in multitude --- Five thousand farmers and shepards Two swords Two Spears Axes, Sickles, Plowshares, Mattocks  In my life I often feel as Saul did standing at Michmash, out maned, out gunned and waiting for the inevitable. I rise in the morning, tired and exhausted to face a day of frustrations, struggles and challenges. All of which I have elected to pursue on the notion it will further the kingdom. I read the scriptures, pray and reflect on the plans God has revealed from my life and my day. Joy in my heart and passion my strength I begin, tackling the tasks at hand. Papers, class, chapel, PCM, small group and the week wears on, I grow weary, anxious and tired. I begin to question God's purpose here, it seems so futile so insignificant. What assets have I really fostered for entering the realm of 'ministry'? What experience do I have with which to bolster my resume? I have plans, hopes an...

Faith is works, they are organically related, inseparable in application and indefinable apart from one another. Sharing the same host, (our souls) we cannot remove one quality or aspect without destroying the host. In a deeply intertwined relationship they are joined to become one. While each shares it’s own motifs the steps required to achieve either can only be seen as linear when viewed retrospectively. Thus a solution which seeks to alter the outcome of one over the other can not be plotted or executed given our inexorable condition as victims of ignorance. We must maintain a perspective which acknowledges our inability to extrapolate any elucidation of a strictly transcendental reality. Let us never allow our preoccupation with the orphic nature works affiliation with faith consume us to the extent that we inoculate ourselves to poignancy of the gospel which can only be known through a spiritual experience. What callous and prideful ignorance we must embrace to discard our div...

Perhaps when the scriptures say “all things permissible, but not all profitable” this is to say that while any action which is not sin is scripturally allowed without eternal penalty, it is however less laudable than a narrow path. Thus, God has provided to us a broad allowance of lifestyle chooses, one which is rich with possibility for pleasure and even pain; are we than to be stricter than God himself? Should we not consider the liberal freedom which he has extended us and assure that of those we lead. We feel inclined to label anything which is not of the highest repute to be bad and thus forbidden. God instead chose to label that which was best of highest value and anything short as a mere cheating of yourself, by lovingly allowing us to experience this cheapening of our potential as is necessary, we learned to cling to his authority, not out of legalistic enslavement, but in fearful awe of his superior perspective and loving impartation of this wisdom through graceful direction. ...