Searching for God

Searching for God - a quest man has been on since the beginning of time, often failing as he tries to find a god who fits his own image of what a god should be. History is filled with examples of these failed efforts, i.e. Greek and Roman mythology, Hinduism, Shintoism, Buddhism, and as politically incorrect as it may be to say it, Islam and Mormonism are more modern examples. The truth is, God is not hard to find - He is unmoving and unchanging. In fact, we don't have to search for Him at all, He will come to us if we will let Him. He actually seeks us out - He sought Adam and Eve in the garden; He sought Abraham in Chaldea to send him to Canaan; He sought Jacob, then wrestled the night away before blessing him; He sought Noah to build an ark; He sought a shepherd named David to build a kingdom; He sought 12 disciples to build a greater kingdom; He sought Zaccheus in a tree; He sought Paul on the road to Damascus; He sought me when He sent a person across my path to challenge me with the Good News of Jesus, who tells us of the one who would leave his 99 safe sheep in order to find 1 who was lost...how awesome and amazing it is that a God so big would put so much effort to find ones so small.....

PETA protest

I am often amazed when I read or hear about some of the things that people are willing to pour their time and energy into. I just read a news piece about a group of animal rights activists at Princeton University who decided to protest the eating of meat by "appearing nearly naked, covered in fake blood, wrapped in cellophane and lying in giant meat trays outside the cafeteria." While I do believe these folks could find something better to do with their time, I have to applaud their efforts to take action where their beliefs/convictions are concerned. It causes me to wonder what would happen if we as Christians took our own beliefs this seriously. While I am not really an advocate for the use of such "in your face" methods, I can only imagine how much that level of effort would accomplish in reaching a lost world......

Beginnings

"Sola Gratia" - a Latin phrase meaning "by grace alone"- a reference to Ephesians 2: 8 - 9, where the Apostle Paul tells this, " For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." Thank God for such a gift - in reviewing my own life and character, I see what I have been in the past and have the potential to be if left to my own devices. I could never measure up to God's standard and no works would ever be sufficient to overcome the fundamental flaws in my character. Only grace, "God's unmerited favor" can do that. I thank God that He has given me a gift I absolutely do not deserve instead of what I do.....