thoughts for today

I am supremely grateful to my Lord for the life he has allowed me to share in for the past 12 months. My wife is wonderful and amazing.....definitely my "better half" to use the cliche.

My youth group is growing thanks to their excitement and the work of God in their lives. They are bringing friends left and right. Every Sunday and wednesday I walk in and my first thought is "wow, we have more here than last time". They are beginning to grow as God's word works it's way into their thoughts and lives. They are beginning to ask some tough questions of themselves, and to really evaluate their lives. Many do not like what they see, and humorously, it makes them angry! They get mad not at God, but at themselves for choosing to have lived in a way that would be so self - serving. It's not an emotional response from them, it's a "man, I've been stupid" response, and they change....IMMEDIATELY. I hate to think how many times I could take a lesson from the speed of their hearts' change when they realize they're against what the bible says. I try and argue with God...they just accept his way. Thank you Lord they haven't become stubborn yet! I learn so much every time I "teach" them a lesson. It's awesome to see them grow.

Since my good friend OKPreacher is posting on revival, I thought I'd reiterate another strand of our conversation. That of religious humanism. God does promise us an abundant life, that he'll always be with us, that he will guide us, that he will be enough to sustain and prosper us, that he'll always love us. He promises ALL of those things, but to come to him so that we might have those things is....ahem....WRONG! Honestly, I don't think I'd ever considered the thought before last week when I heard it mentioned for the first time in my 23 years of being in the church. After all, aren't we told to "Come to God and receive life everlasting" or any other list of things we are told to "come to God" for????? Well, whatever happened to coming to God for the RIGHT reason. That reason is Because he alone is God and is WORTHY of our praises, thanks, lives, and repentence, and obedience whether we want to give it to him or not! How many of us truly have the attitude of "Lord, even if I burn in hell for all eternity, I will praise you and live for you because you DESERVE it". Think about it. God did what no one else natural or supernatural could ever do. And he did it for us. We didn't deserve him intervening on our behalf at all. But he did, because he loves us. Whether we are saved or not, he deserves our praise now, and one day will receive it regardless. We should come to God and offer our lives because he is WORTHY, not because he promises us those things. He deserves our praise whether he gives us anything else or not. Thankfully, in his mercy he does, out of his wonderful grace and abundance he does give. but that is not why we should come to God. Boy wouldn't that upset a lot of church congregations to have to deal with? How many times do we actually think that because we so graciously said yes to God, that we for some reason deserve everything good we can get our mitts on? I would like to hear a preacher from the pulpit tell his congregation to come to God for the right reasons. Now there would be a true shepherd to follow. He may not have the intricasies of church functioning down completely, but he sure understands the basics of who God is and who we are and are not. I'll take the basics anyday of the week. I feel the most loved by God, when I remember who I used to be apart from him, and who He has always been and still is, and that I am able to praise him for that reason alone. Could it be because I'm worshipping him for the right reasons, I receive the right response that my heart needs? Coincidence? I think not.