Into a Season of New Learning

I have just left a season of learning from man as I finished my Spring semester of college.  Only two years left.  God has placed me into a job that gives me ample time to read.  Also, being a bookstore, people expect the person behind the counter to be reading.  This being said, tomorrow I begin a new season of learning.  My office shelves have been crying out to me as they have accumillated new additions all year and have been waiting for me to have the time to read them all.  Personally, I can hardly wait to daily feed myself with some God inspired words.

Summer also allows me to recharge my batteries and spend time devouring the word of God instead of taking small bites in between the class readings of college.  It is time to feast and if anyone would like to join me at the table I challenge you to do so.

Books on my list this Month

Primal

by Mark Batterson

College Ministries 101

by Chuck Bomar

essential church?

by Thom S. Rainer & Sam S. Rainer III

UnChristian

by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyon

If you would like to read and discuss them with me then send me a message and we'll set up some times to get together and discuss them.

Revolutionary Love

2 Peter 3:9 states:

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

I start this entry with this scripture because I look around tonight and see the death of a man cheered for.  While the man did unbelievable evil to many in this world, my God tells me to love him, to forgive him, and pray for him.  This may be the most difficult of all commands that we must abide by as Christians. 


As I sat tonight watching the news come in, I saw the news reporter high 5'ing everyone and literal tears fell from their eyes as happiness overwhelmed them.  I looked at my wife and asked, "Why do we cheer when we kill someone?"  I cheer when we win the war, I cheer when we see people freed from tyranny, I cheer when my brothers and sisters in uniform get to come home, I cheer for all these but I can never cheer for death.  The enemy of my soul cheers for death.  He cheers that another soul is claimed to hell and taken from God.  I cannot cheer for the same.

Now this does not by any means say that I believe that this person should have been left to accomplish more evil on this earth.  It says in Proverbs 11:19, "Truly the righteous attain life, but whoever pursues evil finds death."  Evil will always lead to death and this concept was proven in this case.  What I am saying is that as Christians we should not rejoice or revel in the destruction and death of a creation of God no matter how evil the person was.  Jesus died for all of us and to forgive every sin, no matter the degree. 

Over the past few months God has been teaching me about His love and especially about forgiveness.  John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world..." it didn't say For God so loved the Jews, it didn't say For God so loved the Christians or those that worship Him, or those that obey Him, or those that are good.  It says "For God so loved the WORLD, the sinners and saints alike, that He sent His one and only son, that who ever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting/eternal/forever life.  If we as followers of Christ could get this kind of love down deep inside of us, we would not only be viewed as different, but we would be revolutionary in a world that promotes hate.

I realize my words are unpopular but truth usually is.  If you take nothing from above, take this one thing, God loved us first so that we could love others unconditionally.  If God wishes that none should perish then so should we.