About Me

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Hi, my name is Justus, I'm a Christian.I attended Patrick Henry College for three semesters, and I transfered to College of the Ozarks in the fall of 2013 where I graduated as an English major in 2016. I love the Lord Jesus Christ the savior of my soul. He has made me new. He leads me in the Old Path; He is the Way. I am not perfect; my Lord is sanctifying me though.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Taking the Oldest Path

     In Genesis 3:8 it says that Adam and Eve "heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day". God walked in the Garden of Eden with His creation. They were in such close fellowship with Him that they walked the same paths.

     I already told you that I often go on walks to think about problems, but that's not the only reason I go on walks. I go on walks to pray and talk with God, and to enjoy the general revelation of His beauty in nature. God once walked with man in the Garden, and man ruined that relationship. However, through Jesus we have a renewed relationship. Jesus says "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me" (John 14:6). This Way is the only way to God. He is the Oldest Path and stretches from everlasting to everlasting. (That's old!)

     I have been learning that taking this path is not simply a quick walk to heaven, but a long stroll with a Friend. Jesus says that we are His friends if we do what He commands in John 15:14.  He commands us, through Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, "Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." (There's more to this that I'll explore in a later post...remind me if I don't.)

     Christ wants to be in that intimate relationship with us which we lost in the garden. He asks us to walk with Him. Walking in the Bible is often used to describe how a person lives their life. In First and Second Kings and Chronicles the Kings of Israel and Judah are described by which of their ancesters ways they "walked" in. Throughout the Old Testament there are references to walking in the way of the Lord, especially in Deuteronomy and Psalms 119.

      Micah 4:2 (I know right, Micah?) says " Many nations will come and say, “Come and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD And to the house of the God of Jacob, That He may teach us about His ways And that we may walk in His paths.” For from Zion will go forth the law, Even the word of the LORD from Jerusalem." Micah talks about walking in the Lord's paths and the Word of the LORD coming from Jeruselem. The Old Testament closely links walking in God's way with walking in His Word. The New Testament gives us a new opportunity, to walk with His Word, with Jesus Christ.

   Aside:  Jesus and the Bible are often given similar titles, e.g. the Word of God, Light, etc., but they are distinct. However, these titles are important to understanding how we are to live (or to walk). You cannot walk without light to guide you (without stumbling). Passages like Jeremiah 18:15 and John 8:12; 11:9-10; 12:35-36, all tell of needing a light to guide us. In these passages and others such as Psalm 119:105 show us that the Word of God and the Logos are our lights while walking along the Path, which is set up in the Word on the Logos.

     Since we are to walk with Christ and the Word, we should be sure to have them with us when we walk (live our daily lives). So next time I go on a walk (or do anything really) I hope to have these two right with me. (And when I say hope I mean in the Christian, you-can-bet-your-life-on-it, kind of hope.)

We walk in Christ through Christ, by Christ and with Christ. Let's get to know Christ.

-Blessings,
Justus

 Genesis 3:8, John 14:6, John 15:14, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Micah 4:2, Jeremiah 18:15, John 8:12, John 11:9-10, John 12: 35-36, Psalm 119:105

Monday, February 6, 2012

Lonliness


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This is a poem by e e cummings.
I don't think there's a person on this planet who doesn't know what it means to be lonly. Even Christ felt alone on the cross (see Mark 15:34).
     A couple of weeks ago I had an intense panic attack that was set off by an irrational fear of lonliness. I had gone on a walk because I was somewhat bored and there wasn't much going on, on that walk I was intraspectively reviewing myself. I often go on walks in order to consider my approach to problems: school, social, spiritual, etc.
     Usually I end up praying, then returning to my dorm and getting back to work. This time was different. I was working through a social issue which I had just noticed. The friends I have were always doing something and I could never just interject and do something with them. (I later found out that almost everyone on this campus are classified in the Myers-Briggs Personality test as judging people, which means they have to have structure, whereas I'm a percieving person, which means I like to do things off the cuff.)
     As I was walking I began to blame myself for not being able to interject myself into a social situation. I started to panic over the fact that I might not be able to find people who would just go somewhere with me when I was bored. (Selfishness in action. Sin tends to bring awful results like this.) Since it was dark and cold and I was shaking because of my panic I decided to sit until it passed. I went to a gazebo on campus where I sat and began to pray. In my time praying I began to feel much better and realized that I was overreacting. Even so, I was still rattled.
     When I got back to my room, one of my roommates (anonymous for the time being) spoke with me because he saw me shaking. As I was trying to figure out how to word my issue I looked into the Word of God. I had a couple of verses on my mind. 1 John 4:17-18, Isaiah 43:1-7, Proverbs 3:19-26 These verses came through various channels, a chapel message, a Facebook post, and an attempt to memorize a chapter of the Bible, but each of them pointed me to one thing: I need not fear for God loves me and is with me.
     
     My roommate asked me what was wrong. I answered and explained my situation. I realized something. 1 John 4:18 bothers me. I have fear; there is no fear in perfect love; the one who fears has not been perfected in love; I fear love. That's right I have an irrational fear of love. (That is I fear loving others.) The reason is twofold. In order to love one must open oneself, and I do not like to be open, even with those to whom I am very close. And love involves sacrifice. In fact in John 15:13 it says "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends."
    
     I am too selfish and value my safety too greatly. That is also why it is hard for me to follow Christ in many ways. (1 John 5:3) My selfishness causes most of my lonliness. Even though my friends may be busy, when they are not I don't seem to have the time to sacrifice to be with them. I am a hypocrite. However, Christ has been at work and I intend to change and "be transformed by the renewing of [my] mind" as Paul puts it (Romans 12:1-2).
     With that in mind, last night I had a conversation with a friend along the same lines as this post. Lonliness is a highly contageous disease. My friend's issue was that he could not seem to find a group to fit in with. I and another friend prayed for him and gave some suggestions while we talked it over, but I still didn't open up. 1 John 4:20-21 condemns my attitude of self-preservation at the expense of love. Love "bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things" according to 1 Corinthians 13:7. So let us love and persevere in our love. Though we bear our selves to our friends and to our enemies, we have shown our love, and in this Christ is glorified.
In love,
Justus