Christ came to set me free from my selfishness.
Praise God.
Good things coming soon. Stay tuned!
“No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:15-16
Christ is my light.
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
Ephesians 2:1-10
This is the Gospel. This is the best news in the world!!!
In the midst of work, school, and ministry it’s frightening how easy it is to lose sight of Christ. The Gospel must be at the core of everything I do in life, or I will quickly look inward to a kingdom of my own making. Focus your gaze on Christ, and the world will grow dim. Seek first His kingdom. It’s the only one that won’t crumble.
“I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways.” - Psalm 119:15
Inspiration: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kohlin/
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote the poem “I heard the Bells on Christmas Day” immediately after witnessing the death of his wife in a fire. The despair that he was feeling was magnified by the Civil War which was in full swing. The last 2 stanza’s in the poem (also in the song) are powerful reminders of the hope we have in God.
And in despair I bowed my head: “There is no peace on earth,” I said, “For hate is strong and mocks the song of peace on earth, good will to men.”
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep: “God is not dead, nor doth he sleep; The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, With peace on earth, good will to men.”
Jesus Christ is our hope and treasure. Keep Him the center of your celebrations!
Sermon by David Platt that every American Christian should watch.
The Gospel demands radical sacrifice and offers radical grace.
I started this Monday morning with a cup of hot water, trying to imagine that it is hot tea. Surprisingly it is satisfying! I’ve come to realize that coffee is not an addiction for me, but rather a comfort. I must admit I am a rare breed among college students. It seems caffeine addiction is what keeps a generation of young adults functioning. Although giving up all beverages except for water has been somewhat effortless, during my 10 days experience, I have faced some other challenges.
At the University of Maryland, College Park, we decided to give our 10 days campaign a little twist. Through the Gathering Ministry (http://umd.gatheringonline.org/), we decided to carry dirty water bottles to stir as much attention as possible. Whether we are in class, at the gym, or in the dining halls, the response is always the same… “What is in that water bottle?!” These moments are when I share my 10-second platform about the millions of people thirsty for clean water. However, the conversations eventually divert towards stressful midterms, terrible jobs, and troublesome relationships. Although these conversations are initially discouraging I realized something incredibly important.
People need clean water, but they need Living Water more. In a country where clean water comes from Deer Park bottles and Brita filters, it incredibly evident that we are still lacking. So when your friends ask you “Where can you get this living water?” Tell them what Jesus said.
“Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” John 7:38
Matthew 13:44 says “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.”
Is Jesus your ultimate treasure? Do you live in a way that makes him look like the most important thing in your life? Jesus is everything.
“For what do I have If I don’t have You, Jesus? What in this life Could mean any more?”
- Starfield, Cry In My Heart
I finished vectorizing the heart from Psalm 13
Agape is the Greek word for sacrificial love. It’s the word for love used in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Things I Learned
1. Don’t rob God. If you use your talents for your own glory you will become proud when things go well and discouraged when they don’t. God deserves all the glory, we deserve none. Don’t try to rob Him of it.
2. Scripture is infinitely more beautiful than anything humans could ever create. Sharper than a two edged sword. It’s life changing, don’t take it for granted - READ IT!
3. Work Cheerfully. God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him - OK I didn’t write that beauty, but it’s true. Work becomes more of an honor and less of a chore when we realize it is for God’s glory. Be diligent, work hard, and stay inspired.
What’s Next?
School is picking up but i’m going to try to put keep the blog relatively updated..
The site is going to go through some design/purpose changes. I’m going to be launching my website soon (hopefully). I’m going to try to integrate this into the website as my “full-time blog”. Whatever that means. More on that to come later.
Some Stats (as of 09/13/10)
Follower Count: 314
Note Count: 4000+
Total Pageviews: 13,416
Unique Visitors: 1,924
Thanks so much for the support. I really appreciate it.
Sincerely,
Philip Davis
Day 150
Praise the LORD!
Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in His mighty heavens.
Praise him for His mighty deeds; praise Him according to his excellent greatness!
Praise Him with trumpet sound praise Him with lute and harp!
Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe!
him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!
- Psalm 150
Designing through Psalms has been an incredible journey. I’m really glad you guys got to come along with me. God is unbelievably good. Praise Him with the skills, talents, and gifts He’s given you.
I’ll write a short post in a bit regarding some things I learned as well as the future of this blog.
You guys rock. Rep the King.
