www.QuoVadam.com

Isn’t time such an elusive beast? It seems as though I just arrived at home and now here I am, back in Hawai’i. Though victory is seemingly just as elusive when we are facing struggles, when we look back over the time that has eluded us we realize that the victory was ours before the struggle ever began. Part of the Christian life is learning that everything we face, no matter how hard, was defeated on the Cross. Now we hear that message thrown around the evangelical church circles these days like the ol’ pigskin on Super Bowl Sunday. But let’s take a minute to ponder on this. Just what does it mean that everything we have ever faced, every sin we have ever fallen into (or walked into for that matter), everything that was ever contrary to the complete Holiness of God, was defeated on the Cross. First of all, it means that we have a weapon against sin now. One that doesnt involve endless rituals or sacrifices. It means that our performance can not keep us clean. Nothing we can do short of simply telling Him what he already knows, that we screwed up and we’re truly sorry, will erase the stain like the Blood of The One whose Blood leaves even the blackest of hearts stained Pure White. It means that on that cross hung the perfect sacrifice. Perfect because he was Pure, Holy, and Sinless. A Sacrifice because He was God’s only begotten made flesh, giving up his timeless, formless, and absolute divinity to be called everything from a liar and a lunatic to a teacher and a prophet.

This is an incomplete thought, something that I’ve been working with for a couple of hours. I know where it’s going in my head, but trying to put it into words is a different story. The last couple weeks at home were trying in thier own ways. The smoking thing is gone with the wind. The lust thing is much, much better. All I needed was an accountability partner. To touch on what I was talking about in the piece above. I honestly believe that when people say that “Sin was defeated at the Cross” that it doesnt just mean that Jesus took it to the Cross, but that it means that when we fill ourselves with the presence of the Lord and embrace the victory that weve already been given, then, well, we realize just that, we had victory in our grasp the whole time. Many things all but dissapear when we just give our time up to God at sometime during our day. Not just praying, but some kind of study, some kind of devotional time. I honestly pray whenever I think about it. It’s not necessarily always vocal, but I am always praying for people I see, talk to, etc.. Honestly, I do have long stutters sometimes in my daily study and devotionals. It’s something I am trying to work on. I can always tell when my devotional life is slacking, because things start getting all out of whack in my daily life. I become irritable, I do things I dont mean to, I say things I shouldnt say, and my thought life becomes, well, bad. I begin to feel disconnected from God and, for some demonic reason, i cant figure out why. When I dive back into the word on a daily basis, and reserve time for intercession, things straighten back out, or for a better visual, those little stains here and there, begin to become White again. I can honestly say that its not because of any goodness in me, but the goodness that just seeps out of me when I am filled with The Word. When I’m not filling myself with The Word, the world begins to take its place, and soon, instead of exuding the Life of The Word, I begin exuding the death of the world. And it’s noticeable. To those of the world, they just begin to notice a likeness in myself with the rest of the world. To those of The Body, they begin to notice a stark contrast between myself and that which is The Truth. Thank God for accountability and the love of our brothers and sisters. That love is usually what rebukes and brings me back to a time of repentance before the Lord, where I soon realize; He was right there were I left Him, waiting for me to return.

A quick prayer request; I leave for China in less than two weeks. I am back in Hawai’i and and preparing for my trip. Traveling mercies on myself and also comfort for the hearts in my family. I know they are worried. Bless you all and please email me with any updates, requests, prayers, etc.

P.S. Check out The Passion of The Christ this Wednesday, or whenever you can get tickets.