Redemption/Salvation

The Bible presents salvation in the form of a story that describes the outworking of God's eternal plan to deal with the problem of human sin. The story is set against the background of the history of God's people and reaches its climax in the person and work of Christ. The Old Testament part of the story shows that people are sinners by nature, and describes a series of covenants by which God sets people free and makes promises to them. His plan includes the promise of blessing for all nations through Abraham and the redemption of Israel from every form of bondage. God showed his saving power throughout Israel's history, but he also spoke about a Messianic figure who would save all people from the power, guilt, and penalty of sin. This role was fulfilled by Jesus, who will ultimately destroy all the devil's work, including suffering, pain, and death.

- Macmillan Dictionary of the Bible.

Redemption is an amazing process that only happens when you finally take down your guard and let Jesus save you and do a work in you that you yourself cannot do on your own.

Patience, help, strength, and honor

Psalm 40:1-3

The Message (MSG)

Psalm 40
A David Psalm
1-3 I waited and waited and waited for God. At last he looked; finally he listened.
He lifted me out of the ditch,
pulled me from deep mud.
He stood me up on a solid rock
to make sure I wouldn't slip.
He taught me how to sing the latest God-song,
a praise-song to our God.
More and more people are seeing this:
they enter the mystery,
abandoning themselves to God.

poetry..

A single bomb devastates a city, and the world is ushered into the nuclear age. A split atom - power and force such as we had never seen.

At a launch site, rockets roar and a payload is thrust into space. Discoveries dreamed of for centuries are ours as we begin to explore the edge of the universe.

Volcanoes, earthquakes, tidal waves, hurricanes, and tornadoes unleash uncontrollable and unstoppable force. And we can only avoid them and then pick up the pieces.

Power, Strength, might - we stand in awe at the natural and human-made display. But these forces cannot touch the power of omnipotent God. Creator of galaxies, atoms, and natural laws. the Sovereign Lord rules all there is and ever will be. How silly to live without him; how foolish to run and hide from him; how ridiculous to disobey him. But we do. Since Eden, we have sought independence from his control, as though we were gods and could plot our destiny. And he has allowed our rebellion.

But soon the day of the Lord will come.

- unknown

thoughts...

I had some down time, and I wanted to write. It has been way too long.

Right now, in my life, I am standing on God's word. It seems like everyone around me is trying to figure out what they want to do, or become, or where to go to school, or how they can keep themselves busy with this project or that internship.

I feel at times that I am placed right in the middle of everyone's plans. I'm not upset, or angry, its just sometimes it feels as if everyone around me is in a rush to get somewhere or be something or someone. We feel like, we always have to upgrade. The old is never good enough, the now is not cool anymore. So we move on to the next thing. We stay busy with plans and goals to reach some point that ultimately becomes another building block so we can make more plans and goals, to reach this platform I guess that will in turn satisfy us in the end?

I don't agree with not having plans, or goals. If that were the case, we would never get anything done. I am simply saying that in my life, I work a career full-time, and I serve the kingdom of God (it feels like I'm part time at the church.) I am content with where I'm at. I stay busy with work, and church. I love my down time. I'm not worried about my future, or stressing about what I'm going to do. The college terms aren't in my vocabulary, degree's, scholarships, grad school. Most of the people I am around day to day are. So, sometimes I feel out of place because I'm not in a rush too, or that I'm not in this school or that school. I think some of us almost make it a competition among us. School is great, if you can afford it and work hard at it. But who gives all their time to making A's? Very few.

This culture is dangerous. America makes it all about you and I. It sets us up to be selfish, self willed, self minded about everything. "Do it yourself" "Fix it your self" "Have it your way" "Build your future."

What happened to trusting in God? To waiting on Him?

Its not supposed to be about us, or what we can build our self. The last time we tried building something for our self, God took away our ability to communicate, causing us to stop the process of our project, our life.

We cannot be God. We can't have it all.

"Don't be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few."

We need to Trust in God. In order to find out what to do, we have to know WHO we are, then we can know what to do.

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me. In my Fathers house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you."

He goes and prepares a place for us. The job isn't ours.