Heaven in a Handbasket

So....I literally wrote a post a couple of hours ago entitled, "Hell in a Handbasket,"  and although there was Scripture, I felt like my emotions were a bit dry. And honestly, I'm writing as I think with this one. I think I was still reeling from my little traipse through News-land. And after didn't help very much--I continued clicking through headlines and read about babies dying in hot cars, 9 yr. olds having children, and Obama telling Romney to suck it up about something or another.......Reuters does RARELY a happy Kate make. But the odd and lovely thing about all of this was that I would get this heavy feeling in my chest and then remember Christ and His love and a moment of peace would descend. And I know we(and especially I) zip around Christian keywords around like we're the Ranger fielders practicing before a game, but there is so much MEANING and glorious narrative behind them.

MERCY...rescue from punishment we deserve....James Holmes comes to mind. I was shocked when I heard about the Aurora shooting...my sinful heart thought, "What kind of depraved, selfish, EVIL man could mow down a room of people....killing little CHILDREN?...." The youngest death was a 6 year old BABY girl... a life cut short and a family left shattered. Of course that was just the beginning, but the point is that my heart turned to judgment and blame. And then that little voice that likes to give me proverbial slaps upside the head came along. The fact of that matter is that I, as a human, have just as much propensity to evil as James Holmes, Bin Laden, Hitler, Stalin, Adam, Mao, mean customers, abusive parents, Pontius Pilate, and a slew of other villains in history did. The ONLY thing that has held my raging sinful flesh back from self destruction, genocide, homicide, and significant moral terrorism is Jesus Christ. Even WITH Christ, I still allow my flesh to win the battle for my choices daily. The fact is that I have been shown MERCY. And I have been given

GRACE, a gift that I do not deserve. Not only did Christ defeat the punishment which I had earned on the cross, but He supplied me with wisdom and a purpose and a peace that make this broken life in this shattered world a joy and promised me an eternal life of light and hope without sin or death in His unadulterated presence. There we go again with the Christian keywords...unfortunately, these are a bit harder to describe if you haven't experienced them. Peace...more than just a lack of panic...it goes "beyond all understanding", an unshakable faith guarded by Christ. Joy- so much more than happiness...a higher vision of life based on eternal principles, not temporal ones.

I have no words to express how thankful I am for peace in the midst of this..scummiest of filth of a world. And that there is beauty in the small things...that there is laughter and love with family and friends, however flawed relationships are sometimes. That there is rain in the drought and warmth in the cold(or AC in the heat in this case...). That there are children who defeat all odds of their horrible childhood circumstances that grow up to be aflame for Christ and lead others to the same life. That we have been given music and nature and words and the senses to create and enjoy. These common graces in no way have as appreciable of an impact on our lives as Christ becoming nothing to become EVERYTHING, but that makes them no less worthy of Eucharist.

ANYWAY, Hopefully this is considerably less depressing than my former post. :) I'm going to just post the Scripture I referenced in my last post so that it's easily accessible.

LOVE, my friends. If you have any questions or want to discuss anything in this post, please, bring it on. :)



Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.
By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.
These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.
By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back. By faith Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau. By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff. By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones.
By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king's edict. By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them.
By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days. By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.
And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets—who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated—of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.

(Hebrews 11 ESV)



For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

(Romans 8:18-30 ESV)