stream of consciousness

my heart desires to blog everyday...but my living arrangement and time schedule doesnt allow for it.
update: i just moved into the Empress hotel. wahoo!
i honestly think this is my favorite place i have ever lived. downtown, slum hotel, sweet view, purple walls, black and white tile floor, beautiful roommates, opportunities everywhere. plus, the landlords dont want to spend the money to run the elevator (its not broken), so we walk up the stairs every day. soon well be cut like cougars. at least were not on the 7th floor.
the war college students arrived this weekend. sweetness. theyre a small but focused session. last night they were homeless, and this morning they were cheery and devoted as they prayed the Psalms for 30 minutes, even though they were running on little to no sleep. hardcore. they are called the Incendiary session.

okay, now that im in the Empress i have limited internet access. plus the Carnegie community centre is on strike, so i cant use that internet. right now im at Radio Station Cafe, on the corner of Hastings and Colombia.
this place is fabulous-- run by believers. not only do they only sell fair trade coffee-- they sell DIRECT trade coffee. they deal directly with the coffee farmers, not with the fair trade company.

anyway,
the book of Matthew. im lovin it. im chewin it up like its a Reeses...only much more substantial and nutritional. okay, its bread, but the Reeses thing sounded more appealing to me.

i love to read Jesus speak on the end times. its so much clearer then Revelation. some stuff He hides in parables, but some stuff He puts right out there-- like the fact that we will be massively persecuted and hated for His sake.
and that we will only be saved if we hold firm until the end-- though the love of many will grow cold.
and He will come when we dont expect it.
and He will judge us according to our deeds.
now, im not trying to preach that we are saved by works...im just talking about how Jesus divides the sheep and the goats-- the sheep are the ones who fed the hungry, gave water to the thirsty, invited the stranger in, and visited the sick and imprisoned. and the goats are the ones who didnt do those things.
He said it, not me.

okay but check this out--
*While Jesus was in Bethany in thehome of Simon the Leper, a woman came to Him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on His head as he was reclining at the table.
when the disciples saw this, they were indignant. *why this waste? this perfume could have been old at a high price and the money given to the poor.*
aware of this (of course. o.m.) Jesus said to them, *why are you bothering this woman? she has done a beautiful thing to me. the poor you wil always have with you, but you will not always have Me. when she poured this perfume on My body, she did it to prepare me for burial. truly i tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.*
Matthew 26:6-13

heres what i gather:
when Jesus says,*the poor you will always have with you,* He is not telling us to therefore neglect them. He is quoting Deuteronomy 15:11 which says-- *There will always be poor people in the land. therefore I command you to be openhanded toward those of your people who are poor and needy in your land.*
but He IS telling us to get our priorities straight.
you see, money, or expensive perfume, isnt really the issue for me. the issue is time.
sometimes when im worshipping the Lord i feel like i should leave my room and go out and be on the streets amongst the poor. but He then reminds me- the poor will ALWAYS be there. if you stay with Me for another hour and go out, theyll still be sitting on the same corner. do not neglect doing a beautiful, even extravagent and wasteful thing for Me.

the one thing i want is to be in His presence, gazing upon His beauty. and after that, its the poor.

another revelation:
before Peter denies Jesus 3 times, it says that he *followed Jesus at a distance.*
Christianity is really a call to a lifetime of following Jesus.
lets not follow Him at a distance, rather walk closely beside Him. if we do well probably get killed alongside Him.

peace.