no one is good there is not even one.

the front pages of papers of children raped by rapists. iraqi torture chambers and we the blamed claim we're blameless. wrong all. and swelling up inside of us there's this pride in us this arrogance. and our only line of defense is the sense that i'm not half as bad as this friend of mine so i must be fine. we mean well dont we. yet i've never seen good intentions set a man free from hurt all. this poor unfortunate soul filling a single void with toy after toy girl after boy. how boring. this wasnt meant to be humanity's life story. warring with God saying what have you done for me. bought all. hanging out for six hours marred beyond recognition in complete submission to the Father's will still a proclamation was made louder than the loudest temptation. with more beauty than all His creation. more eternal than eternity more angelic than the heavenlies. it is done. you are bought with blood. accept. rejoice.

for freedom has come.

Now the day is over,
Night is drawing nigh,
Shadows of the evening
Steal across the sky

Jesus, give the weary
Calm and sweet repose;
With Thy tend’rest blessing
May mine eyelids close.

Grant to little children
Visions bright of Thee;
Guard the sailors tossing
On the deep, blue sea.

Comfort those who suffer,
Watching late in pain;
Those who plan some evil
From their sin restrain.

Through the long night watches
May Thine angels spread
Their white wings above me,
Watching round my bed.

When the morning wakens,
Then may I arise
Pure, and fresh, and sinless
In Thy holy eyes.

He will allure her
He will pursue her
And call her out
To wilderness with flowers in His hand
She is responding
Beat up and hurting
Deserving death
But offerings of life are found instead

She will sing
She will sing Oh, to You
She will sing as in the days of youth
As You lead her away
To valleys low
To acres of hope
Acres of hope

Here in the valley
Walk close beside me
Don’t look back
For love is growing vineyards up ahead
You have called me master
And though you’re in the dark here
Call me friend
And call me lover and marry me for good

She will sing
She will sing Oh, to You
She will sing as in the days of youth
As You lead her away
To valleys low
To acres of hope
Acres of hope

How the story ends is
Love and tenderness in Him
Not safe, but worth it
So the valley’s up ahead
Or the ones we live

We’ll sing together
We’ll sing together
We will sing We will sing Oh, to You
We will sing as in the days of youth
As You lead us away
To valleys low
To acres of hope
Acres of hope

since no one will ask me directly what i think...i will let John Piper explain myself, and i hope you are listening.

the great tragedy of the church today is its abundance of “yes men”. we are so affirming of others that no one has the boldness to tell anyone they are wasting their life on temporal things.

the decline of the influence of the church in America is not because the world has become more secular but because the church has. we have claimed to have treasure in Heaven but chased after the same treasure as the world. do we think that we have fooled them? this has damaging effects on our evangelism and paralyzing effects in our church. why question the things you are giving your life to when all of the other spiritual people you know are headed down the same wide path. most don’t question. when someone does make a radical commitment to join God in engaging the lost world, we say that they are called to “ministry”. in reality, the Bible only speaks of one calling-the calling to salvation. lordship ministry, evangelism, and missions are not electives for the Christian life. THEY COME WITH THE JOB DESCRIPTION. ministry is the business of every believer.

the idea of those who are “called” to ministry or missions is a category that we have made up, not to explain their behavior but to excuse ours. this idea attempts to justify the validity of a Christian who somehow doesn’t do any of the things that Christ did or commanded us to do.