Monday, August 18, 2008

After all our hands have wrought ...

"And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them." (Genesis 3:21)

God makes clothes for Adam and Eve after they've sinned, realized they were naked, and tried using fig leaves to cover themselves. After they have broken relationship with Him, He still tended to them and cared for their needs. Some people will take this as a picture of what Christ will later do for us (he covers our sin with his righteousness), but the idea that God continues to love us at all is amazing in and of itself.

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Freshmen move-in

We had some great respones today from the people moving in. Can't wait to see what happens tomorrow...

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Some things...

The City Council again postponed talking about Dr. Unk's, thanks to some great lawyer work. The next meeting is scheduled for Sept. 11.

Harmony is starting "Story," a series on the book of John, starting this Sunday. Come to it, or download the sermon here. But if you're in Greenville, definitely come to it. And then stay after for a Meat-Meat = )

Real Live Preacher is starting a discussion on hell.

Monday, August 11, 2008

Meet Obama, the Antichrist?

Here's an interesting story from Time in which some people connect Barack Obama to the Bible's most famous end-time baddie. My vote is nay for several reasons, among which is that people who have guessed the identity of the Antichrist have historically been proven wrong every time.

I think we often get off track when it comes to our approach to what the Bible says about how this world will end (and another one will begin). Instead of trying to figure out whether Iran's nuclear program plays a role in the final days, or at what time Russia will invade Israel, or what the mark of the beast will be, why can't we instead just meditate and take comfort in the promise that Jesus is coming?

The events that lead up to our Lord's return aren't as important as the Lord Himself. Any end-times theology that doesn't have Jesus as its center is an idol and needs to be rethought or discarded completely.

We won't know everything that happens before the end, not even famous end-times authors who have had to revise their predictions because their initial guesses were proven wrong. The safest bet is to love Jesus, love others, and trust that God knows what He's doing.

Sunday, August 10, 2008

Exposed (Heb. 4:13)

"And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account." (Hebrews 4:13)

This is usually a pretty frightening verse to me. Nothing I do or don't do is kept from Almighty God. He sees everything. He knows my deepest thoughts and desires, the things that are so easily kept from everyone else.

And yet, He still loves.

He saw what I would be, but still sent Jesus to redeem, reclaim, renew. His love is not based on what I am, but on who He is. God is the only one who sees me for who I really am and did not stop in spite of all the ways He knew that I would hurt both Him and others. He still is glad to have called me His son, and there are no regrets.