"To say that 'the righteous (or just) shall live by faith' does not mean that they live by blind and irresponsible leaps in total absence, or even in defiance, of knowledge. It does not mean that the "just" live in a state of ignorance or stupidity." Dallas Willard, Knowing Christ Today

Let's see if this works again.

Four Steps

I hope that I'm living these steps out in my life. I have picked up Thomas Kelly's book, A Testament of Devotion. They are four steps to what the author calls, "the obedience of the second half." That line is derived from a quote from Meister Eckhart, who said, "There are plenty to follow our Lord half-way, but not the other half. They will give up possessions, friends, and and honors, but it touches them too closely to disown themselves." I hope that these steps characterize my life:

1. Grab hold of God's vision for your life.

2. Obey NOW

3. If you slip and stumble and forget God for a moment -- get back up and start again.

4. Submit to God.

Dear Reader,

If you're there, then say a prayer for me. I'm feeling down at the moment. However, I do find comfort in Paul's words in 2 Corinthians 4:5-12. He wrote: "For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you."