Well it's been a while since I've done anything with this blog, I originally thought it would be a great tool for me to write a journal. I think it would be great tool for me to keep a journal with, but I just need to use it. It's been about a year and a half since I've used this site, much to my dismay. There's so much that God has done in my life that I can share with you, but my human mind will scarcely be able to remember accurately what He has done. I will try to be more faithful with all that, sharing with you all that He has done.

Let's start off with talking about how faithful God is, I've already used the word faithful a couple of times, mainly describing how unfaithful I am. One thing I've discovered over the past year and a half (I would actually say "learned more of," that would be more accurate) is that I am not faithful. Another thing that I've discovered (learned more of) is that God has been faithful throughout it all. I've had some rough times, and I've had some really good times and God was there through it all. Most of us know of the "Footprints" poem, we've all probably seen it at some time or another, whether or not you remember it is something I can't do anything about. Basically the point of the poem is that there is two sets of footprints in the sand and the author of the poem is reflecting about how Christ has been there right beside him all of the time. The author also reflects on how when times get rough he looks down and sees only one set of footprints. He automatically assumes that Christ has left him during the hard times. Christ responds by telling him that it's not that He leaves us during trying times, it's that He's carrying us. I think this is a good poem; however, if I were to write it today I would state it more to the effect that I look back at the footprints in the sand and only see one set, and then I automatically think that I've been doing it all on my own. When I look closer at the footprints I see that it couldn't possibly be mine, for some reason the footprints seem to be much to good and much too straight to be mine. Then I realize that my whole life, Christ has been carrying me, and without Him I wouldn't even be where I'm at today. You see it's not that we can't do anything good without Christ's help; it's that without Christ's we can't do anything. In the former situation it seems as if we only need Christ to push us in the right direction, in the latter it's quite the opposite, without Christ we would be falling, and falling hard.

I recently heard an illustration being quoted from a man named Mark Webb and it impacted me deeply, it really shows God's love for those whom He has chosen...

"After giving a brief survey of these doctrines of sovereign grace, I asked for questions from the class. One lady, in particular, was quite troubled. She said, 'This is the most awful thing I've ever heard! You make it sound as if God is intentionally turning away men and women who would be saved, receiving only the elect.' I answered her in this vein:

"'You misunderstand the situation. You're visualizing that God is standing at the door of heaven, and men are thronging to get in the door, and God is saying to various ones, 'Yes, you may come, but not you, and you, but not you, etc.' The situation is hardly this. Rather, God stands at the door of heaven with His arms outstretched, inviting all to come. "Yet all men without exception are running in the opposite direction towards hell as hard as they can go. So God, in election, graciously reaches out and stops this one, and that one, and this one over here, and that one over there, and effectually draws them to Himself by changing their hearts, making them willing to come. Election keeps no one out of heaven who would otherwise have been there, but it keeps a whole multitude of sinners out of hell who otherwise would have been there. Were it not for election, heaven would be an empty place, and hell would be bursting at the seams. That kind of response, grounded as I believe that it is in Scriptural truth, does put a different complexion on things, doesn't it?' If you perish in hell, blame yourself, as it is entirely your fault. But if you should make it to heaven, credit God, for that is entirely His work! To Him alone belongs all praise and glory, for salvation is all of grace, from start to finish."

It really puts it all into perspective. "But God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) While I was running away from God, while I hated Him, Christ died for my sins, making it possible for me to come to Him. Without Christ, where would I be, but running towards hell as fast and furiously as I possibly can. Many times we'll ask ourselves why God doesn’t choose that guy, our friends, our family, or our co-workers. Really what we should be asking ourselves is why did He choose anyone at all, and even more importantly why did He choose me.

I've really been learning a lot about my sin as of late and how despicable it really is. One Sunday night at my church in Omaha, NE, conveniently called Omaha Bible Church, a friend of mine and recently made pastor Erik Raymond was talking about God's love for Himself and his desire to glorify himself. Erik had moved onto the subject of Christ's death on the Cross and the purpose of His death; that Christ would be glorified. "Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfector of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:2) Christ died "for the joy set before him", "and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God." Yet Christ also died for my sins...my sins, why would he die for my sins. When I sin, all I'm trying to do is steal from Christ's glory. I say try, because any effort to take from Christ what is already His is the most futile of all acts. I'm trying to steal from Christ, who died for my sins, trying to steal His glory, the glory for which He died.

Not only did Christ die for my sins, while I hated Him in my sin, but He continues to share His grace with me even though I continue to sin against Him, trying to steal His glory. Although deeply convicting and although thinking like this drags my heart through the mud, what a beautiful picture of mercy, grace, and love. I do not know why Christ died for me, nor will I ever know, but I do know that He did. All I can do now is live my life in such a way that glorifies Him. I need to stop trying to steal His glory and start living in such a way that makes His already perfect glory known to those around me.

Someone recently accused me of having a elevated view of God's sovereignty. I said in response to this person, "Good." They responded to me that it's not good. I feel sorry for that person because they think that an attribute of God, a characteristic of His, can be elevated too highly. They accused me of having an unbalanced view of God. I would agree with that person if I elevated God's sovereignty above His love, but I don't. Because of my elevated view of God's sovereignty I have come to appreciate His love, mercy, wrath, jealousy, and wisdom. He loves someone that does not deserve it, He gives mercy to someone that does not deserve it, He withholds wrath from someone that does deserve it, He's righteous in His jealousy because His glory is trying to be stolen, and His wisdom is that much more perfect. Yes, to attribute more importance on one part of God's character is to have an unbalanced view of God. To learn more about one characteristic of God and then apply it to and learn from the rest of His characteristics is awesome. Because not only do you have a higher view of one of God's attributes, but you have a higher view of God as a whole. That person to whom I was referring seems to think that God's sovereignty can be elevated to highly; I don't believe that this can be done to any attribute of God. To have a god that is limited in estimation is to have no true god at all, especially not the God of the Bible. There are not bounds to His love, mercy, kindness, jealousy, wrath, sovereignty, grace, and wisdom. All we can do to learn more of God is to elevate Him beyond our present understanding of Him. We cannot seek man's wisdom in respect to God, nor can we apply what we know to Him, but we can read our Bible and learn from what He has revealed to us about Himself. What a great picture, that we do not have a God that has limits, especially limits of man's thinking.

I will leave you today, and I will ask you to ponder one attribute of God. Find a verse in the Bible that esteems an attribute of God and then meditate on it. After you've done that for a while, continue to meditate on it and apply it to other attributes of God. I promise that you will have an elevated view of God; therefore, a more Biblical view of who God is. Do not try to add what you think about God; let the Bible say what it says. If you are reminded of other Scripture, apply it in a way that remains true to what the Bible says, again don't add to what the Bible says. Pray on these things, ask God to share His wisdom with you. Tell other people what you have learned. What an awesome way to live in such a way to glorify Him who sits on the throne.