Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Why The Bible Mentions Unicorns

This is very interesting. I've never heard the argument of believing in the Bible it mentions unicorns, but here it is. This short video explains the truth of the statement. You learn something new every day and I will never think of a "unicorn" the same way again.




Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Jealous Love

God is a jealous lover. He gets angry when we give our hearts over to things that don't involve Him. He is a selfless God, but He is selfish about us. He wants us all to Himself and no one else.

Leviticus 20:26 - "And you shall be holy to Me, for I the Lord am holy, and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be Mine."

Jeremiah 18:1-11 - The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying: "Arise and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause you to hear My words." Then I went down to the potter's house, and there he was, making something at the wheel. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make. Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?" says the Lord. "Look, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel! The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, to pull down, and to destroy it, if that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it. And the instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it, if it does evil in My sight so that it does not obey My voice, then I will relent concerning the good with which I said I would benefit it. "Now therefore, speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, 'Thus says the Lord: "Behold, I am fashioning a disaster and devising a plan against you. Return now every one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good." ' 

Both times God is talking to Israel, His chosen people. He wants them to love Him and give themselves over completely to Him so badly. It amazes me the amount of love God has for that nation. Over and over again Israel denies and rejects God. Yet He still loves them with unabashed and deep passion. In verse 12 of Jeremiah 18, the Israelites say this, "And they said, "That is hopeless! So we will walk according to our own plans, and we will every one obey the dictates of his evil heart." If God still loves Israel so much after a statement like that, which He clearly does if you look at scripture, how can we entertain the thought that God can't love us after we mess up two or three times? Israel has messed up sooooo many times, more than can be counted, and she has given her heart away to many adulterers throughout the centuries. There is nothing we could possibly do that is worse than what Israel has already done. (No offense to Israel or anything) It took a lot for God to become angry with Israel. He's not going to ditch you simply because you messed up...again. God is a jealous God and His loves is more abundant and forgiving than we could ever imagine; slow to anger and quick to love, His anger lasts but a moment and His love a lifetime.

Friday, February 18, 2011

Oh Spring!

The deliciousness of spring has been lingering around western NY the past couple days. It has been so wonderful!!! The sun has been out, mud is coming up everywhere, and the temperature is in the 40's. Since it's been so cold we don't notice that it actually really isn't that warm out. It feels so good to sense and smell spring ahead. However, it is short-lived. Snow is predicted to come over the weekend and the temperature to drop. :(. It's these little glimpses of hope that the torture of cold weather will end that get us through the bitterness of the rest of the season. It's what God does at times. When we go through a rough patch in life where life seems to be throwing us storm after storm or we're going through a dry patch in life, He throws us a little taste of what it's like after the storm or desert. Our hope is rejuvenated in His faithfulness and we continue on through the trial seeing more of the big picture than before with our faith built up even just the slightest amount.

Finding a job after college is done is no fun. It's tedious and very discouraging when every place you go to turns you down. When you have issues with rejection this does not add the joy of finding a career job, or any job for that matter. It's been hard for me to find a job. I get really discouraged when employers don't even want to consider me for a position. But God has reminded me of the big picture and shown that He is faithful. Nothing is set in any way, but the fact that someone wants to interview me for a consistent full-time position is amazing. It gives me hope that I am worthy of working in the professional world and there are employers that will want me. I can do it, and He will provide.

Monday, February 14, 2011

Happy Valentine's Day!

In the spirit of valentine's day and love and marriage I have a link to share that is applicable to those who are married, engaged, or even single peeps who one day would like to be married. Pastor Paul Peterson explores sex and the Bible in his four sermon series Bedroom Talks. He goes through the Song of Solomon and discusses God's opinion on sex and advice about being a good lover. Check it out in the podcast list under the media tab.

http://church180.tv

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Romeo, Romeo. Wherefore art thou Romeo?

I love dreaming about my wedding, the love my future husband and I will share, the utter and abundant joy that I know will overflow from our marriage, and the journey we will take together. Of course I'm not naive enough to think it won't be hard at times and we both will have to work on our relationship, but that knowledge doesn't hinder me from dreaming about the gloriousness of it all. Any movie that integrates love into the characters lives excites my soul for the time when it will finally come to me...he will come to me and I to him and we will relish in being in love with each other. And since this is Valentines season, movies about love are on all the time for the next couple weeks. How it stirs me on the inside to know that some day, hopefully soon, a man of godly character will come around and sweep me off my feet and I will be able to understand in a tangible sense the lover side of Jesus. I know that Jesus is a lover and that He loves me more than I could ever imagine. But so many times I wish He would meet me in a physical form just so I could have a hug from Him. To feel, physically feel just how much I mean to Him. Someday my future husband will be able to show that to me. I know that he will be used by God to materialize that for me. Oh how I long for that day!!!! It will come, I hope, soon. Where is my Romeo?