2 Corinthians 4v8-9, 16-18 Fight on!

"We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God... We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed." Remember that even in your darkest moments we still have the promises of God, the hope of eternal life, His ever present help, and the covering of His grace. "That is why we never give up." BREATHE. LIVE. FIGHT ON!  May the riches of His unfailing love, and incomparable joy of His embrace help us fight on and take hold of the victory and the life He has promised.  You are loved; by God and by me. 

Fix your gaze on the hope of heaven, the promise of eternal life, and the infinite, unfailing, unfathomable, and relentless love of Christ. In the light of eternity "our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever."
2 Corinthians 4:8‭-‬9‭, ‬16‭-‬18 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/2co.4.8-18.NLT

For my family...

Sometimes we forget to say things that matter. Sometimes we forget to say what we mean, assuming people will just know. Sometimes, in the midst of work, children, leisure, and just life in general we forget about how much the people in our life really matter and we fail to take time to truly acknowledge it and them.

This past week, as I was looking at old photos and walking around in Georgetown, I realized just how much you all mean to me, how many memories contain you, and how my life has been shaped for the better because of your love and grace.  And though I think about your love and your impact on my life often, many times I forget to say thank you or tell you any of these things out loud. So, here is me saying it out loud:

I love you! You mean the world to me! I am proud to be a part of this family, and I am glad that you are a part of this family too!

Good times and bad, thick or thin --- love always, Cassius

The real work

Life's real work is surrender.  The real task is giving up self and choosing to find our  identity, the sufficiency for our salvation, the anchor for our souls and the hope of our lives in Christ alone.  Not in ourselves or our abilities, but in Christ alone!

The Goal

"God’s relentless, unwavering commitment is to draw us near and conform us to the image of Jesus Christ."

May we remember every act of love, every moment of grace, every victory over trials, every difficulty and every eventual  breakthrough is moving us towards this one goal --- life in Christ, life with Christ forever.  

Repost: Thank God for the Way

None Other There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12, ESV).  “There are many roads to God.” Have you heard people say that? They say, “As long as you’re sincere, it doesn’t really matter. Every path leads to the same God.” But have you found this principle at work in any other area of life? Does your experience really tell you that everything is equivalent? Every restaurant, the same? Every coffee choice, all the same? Can every answer to a math problem be considered right? Do all recipes lead to the same quality meal? What would you say to a young guy who’s ready to buy an engagement ring, but whose plan is just to grab the first one in the case he can afford? “They’re all just rocks. What’s the difference? You’ve seen one rock, you’ve seen them all.” Or what would you say to someone living in the Midwestern plains who has no interest in ever traveling to see the mountains? “They’re just hills. What’s the difference? We’ve got hills around here. You’ve seen one hill, you’ve seen them all.” See how silly it sounds to say that? See how dangerous it is to spout the foolish phrase, “All roads lead to God”? “Enter by the narrow gate;” Jesus said, “for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:13–14, NKJV). The cross of Jesus is not one of many ways to God; it is the only way to God. In fact, the shocking thing is not that there is only one way to God; the remarkable thing is that there is any path at all! Do you find that too narrow? Too exclusive? No. Truth by definition is intolerant of error, and is exclusive by nature. How many temperatures does water freeze at? How many answers to 2+2 are correct? Drop a five-pound rock off a building, and see if you can make a solid argument for the relativity of gravity before it hits the ground. Right? So why would the study of God—who Himself made math and science and the other disciplines which are “intolerant” toward error—be the only subject known to mankind in which truth does tolerate error? There is but one road to God. And instead of being resistant to that, we should be forever thankful for it. What could we produce as evidence for why the God who created the world should save us? Wouldn’t it make a lot more sense if He just pushed the whole thing over the cliff and into hell itself? Instead, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8, NKJV). “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12, NKJV). Only Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One. Here He is. Follow Him into the narrow gate, for He alone is the Way. Journal We don’t deserve even a single way, yet He has made one. Where there should be none, there is one. Feel relief, not resistance. Thank Him today for the way He made at such great price. As you prepare for corporate worship with your church tomorrow, what thoughts and words would you give to your worship today? Pray Lord, on this day between Jesus’ death and resurrection, fill me with wonder at what You’ve done. You’ve made a way where we don’t deserve one. Help me to not take lightly Your grace and mercy that have opened this one path for me to be forgiven and reborn and to have promised abundant life with You for all eternity. I worship You today in the stillness of this moment, in the mournful hours after the death of Your Son, praying only in His name—my only Way—amen. 

Good Morning Theophilus

Good Morning Theophilus:

May we wake up and start today with a passionate and deeply intimate longing for the loving arms of God; The One God who "carries us in our times of pain, loneliness, and brokenness, and [through our] moments of loss, sorrow, and sickness;" The One God whose ever present help and presence "helps us endure the challenges and weather the storms," and whose Spirit infuses us "with His [own] divine power... to walk on and keep following Him;" The One God who "made us and loves us," and rescued us on the cross and even now He rescues us in countless ways and "delivers us from ourselves and the actions and harm of others." Yes, may we fall into the loving arms of our God, the Creator, Comforter, Redeemer, Good Shepherd, and Hero of Heaven.  May we live and move and abide in His redeeming love so that we "are carried, sustained, rescued," and blessed with abundant life and the hope and joy of Heaven!

Love you---

A bad trade

Don't forfeit eternal rewards for temporary benefits!

For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?
Mark 8:36 ESV