Beyond Mediocrity Blog

(Image courtesy of http://www.ocarm.org.) Introduction The Lord God blesses His children with unspeakable and irrevocable joy through Jesus Christ. There are times when the Christian does not see the joy of Christ, but it does not mean that the joy of Christ has disappeared or been removed from the believer. Around the dinner table, when the lights are on, you see your family clearly. When the lights are turned off, they do not disappear suddenly. They are still there, but you are unable to see them. Yet even in times of darkness and trial, the Christian has every cause for rejoicing because of the truth of Jesus Christ: “I will never leave those whom I have chosen, nor will I ever forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6 paraphrase). The Lord Jesus is our joy in all things.

(Image courtesy of http://img.cinemablend.com.) God exists for eternity.  He has no beginning and he has no end.  He was not created, for every created thing has a beginning.  Time, space, people, animals, your house, your clothes - all of these things have a beginning.  It is not so with God. God did not create Himself, for that is a law of contradiction.  No one can self-create.  In order to do so, one would have to be before one is .  It is impossible, even for God.

(Image courtesy of http://www.estatevaults.com.) The times are wicked and full of great evil.  My heart has been burdened like it has not been burdened before in my twenty-eight years on this earth.  This burden has created in me anger, sorrow, and depression.  Fear has clouded my hope; the darkness of evil has shrouded my confidence.