Echoes and Stars

1. I was in a store the other day and heard “Joy to the World” and it seemed like the most natural thing in the world and the most subversive message possible at the same time.

2.  Resolutions for the new year are a good idea. But I recommend resolutions for the past year also. Resolve to look back and see God’s goodness to you, especially during hard times. So you will remember when they come again.

3. Christians should be the most charitable with those they disagree with others because of the charity we received while we were enemies of God.

4. “…wonders of his love.”

5. The NT becomes a startling piece of communication to those who follow Jesus when you realize there are no directives about survival.

6. I cannot help but think we would care very little for forms of corporate worship if we , Christians held no power and were instead a persecuted people. Our preferences are luxuries.

7. The desire to do whatever you want is a terrible slavery.

8. If the Scriptures are truly the word of God, then we should expect help and profit from them even when we don’t feel the help or see the profit. Maybe the Holy Spirit is doing something. Our conviction should be that it will not return void.

9. I have found when I am worried about being cool or making my faith cool, my heart grows cold toward God and others.

10. After you have made all your resolutions, add another. Resolve to remember God’s mercies when you fail. Resolve to look back over the last year and remember his mercy. And if the last year is a fog of disappointment and failure, look back still further. Look back to the mercy of the cross and the forgiveness there. It stands high above the blinding mist. Outside of us. And puts an end to the lies we will tell ourselves when we cannot lose the weight or keep up with the daily reading schedule. Resolve to remember that if he died for us while we were still enemies, he will love us when we are failures.