Right v Wrong? No. Right < Gift.

Why do we treat gifts as if they're rights? Let me tell you something.. 

Christ, The Gift, (Rom 5:15) came and gave us the gift of salvation and eternal life (Rom 6:23). The gift of the Holy Spirit was then given. (2 Tim 1:6) The Holy Spirit gave us spiritual gifts. (1 Cor 7:7; 1 Pet 4:10) We all have different gifts. (Rom 12:6) God gives us gifts when He answers our prayers (2 Cor 7:7). You lack no spiritual gifts. (1 Cor 1:7)

This does not say.. Christ, The Right, came and gave us the right of salvation and eternal life. The right of the Holy Spirit was then given. The Holy Spirit gave us spiritual rights. We all have different rights. God gives us rights when He answers our prayers. You lack no spiritual rights.

Why doesn't this sound right? Because it's not! It's foolish.

"Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge." (Psalm 51:4)

We need to recognize that every single good thing we get (including a breath) is a gift, not a right; and we need to begin to act as if this truth is truly true.

When God speaks, I know it's truth. Do you? Enough to change? Let's do it.

Calm Amongst the Storm

Patience. The unspoken truth underlying the sin.

Waiting is so glorious when it comes from within.

But we choose, as a people, to turn it from its design;

all along, knowing, it's lacking full define.

"Patience is waiting," so many would claim

but what if I told you that this is not the aim?

Patience is more than simply holding out

It changes your heart if you choose not to pout:

"Why me? Why this? Is this really Your plan?"

"My child, be still, and know that I can.

And I will, if you let Me, sit calmly, I ask.

Rest in My peace; in My holy grace, bask."

Indifference

How can I sit by and accept the striking fact that all these heart are dead?

How can allow my arrogant self to silently sit as if He never bled?

How can a church rise in numbers and nonchalantly speak the Word

while simultaneously ignoring the one whose bruised and unheard?

Go sip your coffee and eat your pastries while death knocks at the door

for this apathy is what, even more so than sin, is killing the whore.

For indifference is our right hand and disgust, our left;

if only we could pay someone to reach out to the theft.

We fail to realize that we are the thieves, 

stealing the joy of the one who believes

that there's more to life than clothing and shoes

and games and houses and filled up pews,

more than our safety and comfort and knowledge

and luxury and lust and "Oh, which college?"

Patience, Perseverance - Plenty

As this season of wait surrounds,

I pray Your glory expounds.

For in You I find my rest

amongst this heaving chest.

Although the tears flow steady,

I know that You are ready

and when the time is right,

occurs the end of this fight;

for now I'll trust and know

that You will overflow

into this stirring heart;

oh, God, set me apart.

For in this time of wait,

I'll knock at Your holy gate

and King, You hear my cry

for this, I choose to die -

die to my selfish timing;

ready to keep on climbing.