no suffering too deep that is not undercut by joy

Hallelu-Jah, anyhow (anyhow)
Never never never let your troubles get you down (get you down)
when life troubles comes your way
hold up your head up high and say,
Hallelu-Jah, anyhow!

Perhaps this song is too naive.

"This too shall pass"

Complete Change in Topic

There is no more displeasure between me and God.
If there is, it's only from my end.
Even when I sin, God does not see it, but He sees His Son instead, and is pleased.
Hence, there is no reciprocal displeasure, but only one-sided displeasure,
and it's always from me.

Amy asked me what I would be like if I wasn't a Christian .
Impulsive, angry, bitter, rash, violent, all come to mind.
But the thing is, the dead man rises from the grave a bit too often.
I have felt all of these since coming "home."
It'd funny how families work like that, bringing out the worst in you so quickly.

The more I realize how fast change approaches, the more I realize that it is only Jesus who is the anchor of my life; He is my idyllic past and my hopeful future.

Grace

All your sins are forgiven
Past, Present, Future
How many of your sins?
All of your sins.

I don't confess my sins to get right with God,
I confess my sins because I'm already right with God.
Even sin can't keep me far from God.
I am the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ.
When I sin now, God looks at me and says, "My Son already paid for that. Now stop."

It is true, but it's so good to be true.
We are righteous now, we are holy now, we have the inheritance now.
Doesn't this give us license to sin?

"By no means!" (3x)

You are righteous, even when you sin!
You are righteous, even when you sin!
God never condemns you when you're in Christ.
Because all of God's wrath was put on His Son.
There is no more condemnation in Christ.
None, not from the past, present, or in the future.

All is grace.

"You will never be passionate for Christ, unless you know how much Christ is passionate for you."
Start praying prayers that are impossible.

This all I believe. Then, how did I get so callous, dull, apathetic?
Pray impossible things, and step out in power.
Father help me to do that. I need courage.

Grace is too small a word for the infinite goodness that it is!

What I meant to say...

Suffering is real; very real, and by stating this, I reject all forms of oriental thought on suffering. There is no Yang nor is it an illusion (and thus, making escapism the only soteriological method). It is real, and people suffer. However, Jesus on the cross seized not the reality of suffering, but suffering itself. For the Christian, suffering itself, though extant, is now recapitulated, analyzed, and defeated by its antithesis and conqueror, joy. There is no place for the Christian in which joy is outmatched by suffering, or which channels of joy are undercut by suffering. And, irony of ironies, our suffering itself becomes infused and expanded by joy, since it is now a method of our Father's rebuke, and, He only rebukes those whom he loves. Our appropriate response, as always, is to be joyful!

Be joyful always; God adores a cheerful giver; Joyful beyond our understanding;
Meditate on His true promises and be filled with the joy in knowing that He is capable! Eternal life, companionship, love, acceptance, community. If we are filled with joy at this earthly level of promises, how much more will our joy be when we have perfection in all those aspects?

And as always, there is no middle ground.