Think and let think...

God is Relentless

So Jesus told them this story: "If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won't he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, `Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.' - Luke 15:3-6

God won't give up on you. He just wont. God will pursue you. God's determination is untiring. God's pursuit of you is unflagging. The poet Francis Thompson called God "The Hound of Heaven" - He's a God whose love will track you down and turn you around. Running from God, hiding from God, ignoring God....It just won't work. God will stop at nothing - not even a brutal death on the cross - to pursue a restored, meaningful, and vibrant relationship with you. 

Forgiveness....

Forgiveness from Alex Hood on Vimeo.

Hook Em Horns!

I was so proud of Colt McCoy last night after the National Championship game. Hook Em Horns!!

Teaser for this weekend

via davidsbucket.com

Onto something? No not so much

Do you ever get that feeling when your studying your bible that you are onto something? Well, I did. Yesterday. If you read my previous post about Genesis and God creating light then you know full well what I'm referring to. I was correct i think in a sense, however I would like to clear up that God did not create evil but that Adam and Eve's choice to eat of the fruit brought sin into the world and so from then on we were a fallen people who needed a savior. When it comes to the light, yes God did create Light twice, sort of. In Genesis 1:3, God does in fact create Light by saying, "Let there be light," and so light existed, then in Genesis 1:5 God seperates the light from the dark. And finally in Genesis 1:14-19 God gives the world the Sun to govern the light of the day and the Moon and stars to govern the night. Point being this: God's creation is beyond comprehension and its vast and amazing and glorious and magnificent and beautiful and overwhelming and I could go on and on. God has done an amazing work here in this world, not because he needed to but because He wanted to. God's love for us is unquenchable. He gave us the world, to care for, and to love Him. He desires so much a personal relationship with all of us. And I do mean ALL. Genesis is a book that has been debated on for thousands of years, and we will never truly know how God did it. That doesn't really matter anyway. He did it. End of story and end of statement. That is all that matters. Because God is Love.

Judges 16- Samson the Judge

Samson was called to live a life that had lots of restrictions and honestly he made a lot of mistakes, but that is why God tells us this story. He tells the story of Samson because Samson is strong because God makes it so. Even more than that though is that when Samson gets in a position where he is not strong enough God gives him the strength he needs.

There's this song by Natalie Grant who is an awesome Christian music artist. The song is called Perfect People and the chorus is awesome.

There's no such thing as perfect people There's no such thing as a perfect life So come as you are, broken and scared Lift up your heart and be amazed And be changed by a perfect God.

Samson was called to live a life that had lots of restrictions and honestly he made a lot of mistakes, but that is why God tells us this story. He tells the story of Samson because Samson is strong because God makes it so. Even more than that though is that when Samson gets in a position where he is not strong enough God gives him the strength he needs. No matter what you do in life you will always have God. Always. Friends will come and go, even your family won't be able to be there for you all the time, because they are in fact human. God is the only being in our lives that will always be next to us, supporting us and pushing us to keep going. Remember that this week and every week of your life. Remember when Jonah was scared and ran away? God saved him. Remember when the Israelites were in a bad spot thanks to a giant called Goliath? God delivered them. Samson was in a bad spot, God gave him what he needed. Yeah the story of Samson is really cool and inspiring. I mean he brings down an entire temple. That's awesome, but the gracious Love that God always offers is so much more amazing than anything anybody can offer. Ever.

Receiving One ' s Self in the Fires of Sorrow

So occassionally I read "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers and the entry for today really made think.

“Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour?’ No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name!” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” -John 12:27-28

I bet you have heard the phrase, "Everything happens for a reason," in fact im quite sure you have. How many times in your life do you experience bad times and wonder why. Why me? Why is this happening to me? How many times do we play the victim and whine that we are going through a tough time? Far too much. Or at least I do. I submit this phrase to you from Oswald Chambers

"The way to find your self is in the fires of sorrow."

I love that because its so true. What doesnt kill me only makes me stronger right. With every bad decision i make I learn something about myself and who I am. God should be glorified at all times, not just the good times, the bad times as well because it is in those bad times that we truly find out who God created us to be. Father, glorify your name!

Fountain of Youth

The Fountain of Youth

Suggested Bible Reading

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, "Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel." And the child's father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, "This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed--and a sword will pierce your own soul too." There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

-Luke 2:25-38 (NRSV)

Today's Scripture Joshua was old and advanced in years; and the Lord said to him, "You are old and advanced in years, and very much of the land still remains to be possessed." -Joshua 13:1 (NRSV)

WE older folks can learn from the message that the Lord spoke to Joshua: Yes, you are old, but you have much to do yet. Often what we need to do is obvious, right in front of us.

It may also be obvious to others. Why don't we older people take on these tasks? Hasn't God planned something for us? The Bible shows us more than once that God uses older people. When God revealed that Isaac would be born, Sarah was 90 and Abraham 100 years old. Moses was 80 when he led the Israelites out of Egypt. Anna, in the New Testament, was 84 when she witnessed to others that the newborn Jesus was the Messiah.

God is the source of the courage and strength we need for the tasks that lie before us, even though we may think we are too old or too young or "too" something else. God sees us and is the Lord of all our years. Is God not permitted to count our years differently than we count them? God sees in us much ability to serve, no matter what our age.

Ugo Gastaldi (Lombardia, Italy)

Prayer

Teach us, Lord, not to fear our age but to look to you for strength to serve no matter how old or how young we are. Amen.

Thought for the Day Whether we are young or old, God is the Lord of all our days.