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I have a favorite T-Shirt that says: “This was supposed to be the future. Where is my jetpack?”

I’m a twenty-something and my generation is one that has seen many of the idealistic promises of the last century come largely unfulfilled (jetpacks? flying cars? world peace? freedom and justice for all?).This means we’ve turned out as a pretty cynical generation, and we’ve made it something to be proud about. We’ve realized that everyone is trying to sell us something, that everything is product placement,,,

But the problem is that this cynicism might just kill our generation.

I have to admit as a twenty-something myself that cynicism is pretty seductive. When you’re cynical you don’t get hurt easily because you assume that everything is hopeless to begin with. Cynicism is a shield protecting us from disappointment. We don’t want our dreams thrown out like New Coke or NASA’s Space Shuttle Program so we just don’t have dreams anymore.

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When we cynically assume that every good venture will ultimately fail, we miss out on rejoicing where we should rejoice. We can be so guarded that when we see God at work, we think, “Well there are still a million things that can go wrong…” instead of simply seeing what God has done and rejoicing.

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Though we live in a broken world, evidences of God at work are all around us and we glorify God when we rightly rejoice when we see him at work.

Read it all

“the duties that are required of us are not proportioned to the strength residing in us, but to the supply laid up for us in Christ”

 

John Owen, Works (Edinburgh, 1982), IX:109

From Ray Ortlund’s Blog

Our ordinary method of dealing with ingrained sin is to launch a frontal attack. We rely on our willpower and determination. Whatever may be the issue for us — anger, fear, bitterness, gluttony, pride, lust, substance abuse — we determine never to do it again; we pray against it, fight against it, set our will against it. But the struggle is all in vain, and we find ourselves once again morally bankrupt or, worse yet, so proud of our external righteousness that “whitened sepulchers” is a mild description of our condition.

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In Colossians Paul lists some of the outward forms that people use to control sin: “touch not, taste not, handle not.” He then adds that these things “have indeed a show of wisdom in will worship” (Col 2:20-23 KJV). “Will worship” — what a telling phrase, and how descriptive of so much of our lives! The moment we feel we can succeed and attain victory over sin by the strength of our will alone is the moment we are worshiping the will. Isn’t it ironic that paul looks at our most strenuous efforts in the spiritual  walk and calls them idolatry, “will worship”.

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The will has the same deficiency as the law — it can deal only with externals. It is incapable of bringing about the necessary transformation of the inner spirit.

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When we despair of gaining inner transformation through human powers of will and determination, we are open to a wonderful new realization: inner righteousness is a gift from God to be graciously received. The needed change within us is God’s work not ours. The demand is for an inside job, and only God can work from the inside. We cannot attain or earn this righteousness of the kingdom of God; it is a grace that is given.

Romans 5:17 “… those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness [shall] reign in life through  the one man Jesus Christ.”

Jesus, You’re Beautiful

Jon Thurlow

I know that Your eyes are like flames of fire
I know that Your head is as white as wool
And I know that Your voice it sounds like waters,
Jesus Your Beautiful!

Spirit of wisdom, open my eyes again
Spirit of revelation, open my heart again

Cause I want to see
Lord I want to see, see You rightly Jesus

There is no one like You, Lord
Jesus You’re Beautiful!

There is no one like You in the heavens or the earth
There is no one like You in the heavens or the earth